Darkness and memories
by Vija-Thorn
Summary: Toothania couldn't forget the horror on Pitches face as he was being dragged away. Even as the weeks passed she worried about him until she finally ventures into his lair. Her fears were valid when she finds him bruised, battered, injured and unconscious by his own NightMares. Kind of Tooth/Pitch... Actually a more General Pitchiner centered fic:3
1. Chapter 1

A certain fairy hovered above a large dirt circle in the middle of a clearing. It was just on the cusp of summer and the grass was fully grown. But for reasons that only existed in the dark, nothing grew on this patch of earth.

'Why did I even come here….This was a stupid idea...' Tooth sighed irritably before she touched down gently next to the closed portal and remembered the events of the past month._  
_-~-~-~-~-~-~

_It had only been a day. A day full of celebration in the company of her friends after a hard won battle. Everyone was all smiles and laughter, as if everything in the past couple days had been forgotten. But this was not true. _

_Tooth smiled and laughed with the rest of them, rejoicing of course that the war was over and everything was back to normal. But she couldn't forgot the look on the Nightmare Kings face when he was pulled into the earth by his own black horses….The pure horror and terror in his eyes. The image was ingrained in her head. _

_She remembered glancing over to her companions, trying to keep the horror off her face. North and Bunnymunnd watched intently with a small smirk while Sandy uncharacteristically watched with a blank expression. The only one that seemed to share her feeling was Jack. It was hard to tell while he was watching the seen in awe. But at every scream Pitch let out as he was being dragged away the frost spirit seemed to cringe. _

_She told herself that he deserved it. After all he had done? Almost killing Sandy! Kidnapping her fairies! But still...she couldn't help the tiny feelings of remorse at how things turned out drifting through her head. Maybe this was just her compassion showing through. Even for the enemy..._

_"Are you ok?" _

_Jacks voice pulled her from her thoughts. "Ah- Yes! Of course!" Her voice was cheery as she gave him a bright smile. _

_The party continued around her. North and Bunny bantering as the yeti's gabbered around the workshop. Sandy was well into the eggnog and elves skittered around their feet, dancing foolishly to the Christmas carols playing. The music choice was of course North's, his house his rules, after all. _

_The frost spirit smiled back at her unsurely and narrowed his eyes. "You sure? Looks like you were in your own little world." _

_"I'm fine Jack. Just worrying about how my fairies are getting along without me...it's been a long day after all!" She spoke quickly and cheerfully. Perhaps it was time to get back to work. Maybe the steady normality of daily life would help her forget... _

_"Whatever you say..." Jack didn't seem satisfied with her answer but changed the topic anyway. The conversation was pleasant the rest of the night and with only minimal interruptions from the Nightmare King in her head. _

_As the days passed and things calmed down life went completely back to normal. Things were quiet. No black sand...only the normal everyday nightmare that was quickly quelled by Sandy. The Guardians continued on without a thought spared for the Lord of fear...all except Tooth. She had hoped that the drone of reality would banish her thoughts of him. But as the days passed she couldn't help but worry more often. Where WAS Pitch? Even before his little takeover scheme there were always sightings of NightMares; creatures skittering through the dark...of something in the shadows...but not now. Had something really terrible happened to him? Was it their fault? _

_Tooth's mind raced even as she watched over her legion of fairies hard at work. Her tail flicked as she finally touched down with a sigh and perched on the side of the tower, head in her hands. She yawned; maybe she was working a little TOO hard to try and distract herself. _

_Before her eyes were able to slip closed for a nap, a tap on her shoulder startled her into a hover. She turned quickly in the air hands at the ready to defend herself when she realized it was just Sandy. _

_"You startled me! I was...just going to take a little nap..." She smoothed the feathers on the back of her head, speaking sheepishly as the golden man just raised an eyebrow. "But of course you knew that..." She smiled and giggled a little before speaking again. "Sorry...go on." _

_The Sandman then launched into a series of barely understandable pictures and gestures about current events that caused the fairy to frown. His final image was that of a NightMare. They were starting to be spotted again…._

_This news made Tooth's blood boil as she thanked Sandy nicely for the update and saw him off. How DARE that shadowy bastard make her feel concern about him when he was just right back to his old tricks. All of the hours she spent worrying that he was maybe dead. URG! It just made her so mad! _

_Without thinking she took off. There was nothing more that she wanted to do at that moment than give the Nightmare King a piece of her mind. _

-~-~-~-~-~-~-~  
In a spurt of anger she stomped on the ground, huffing out a breath. But before she was even able to comprehend what was happening the ground beneath her feet no longer existed. In the blackness her wings caught the air and she hovered, waiting for her eyes to adjust.  
It was a cavernous room, lit by shafts of light from unknown sources, bathing the walls in shadow. Every so often the shadows moved and the glowing eyes of a nightmare could be seen.  
Suddenly nervous, Toothiana swallowed her fear and began her decent into the depths of the dark cavern. Cautiously the fairy flittered into the next room keeping constant guard in case one of the shadows attacked her.  
Her eyes widened when they took in the sights. It was brighter in here… and from a dark unseen ceiling hung about a dozen gothic cages, an eerie fog swirling around and through them. This cavern was much larger than the last and broken up by many stone bridges crossing the great expanse leading to black gaping doors to shadow in the walls.  
But what drew Tooth's attention more than anything was the globe; the globe that looked so similar but yet so different to the one at the North Pole. As she flew near it she tried to remember why she had come in the first place. To find Pitch…to….  
The tooth fairy touched down on the ground in front of the globe and softly bit her lip. What WAS she planning on saying to Pitch? Now that she had arrived, all of her previous anger had deserted her, leaving only uncertainty and nervousness.

A whinny in the darkness quickly drew her from her thoughts. She had been so transfixed by the globe that she hadn't even noticed the growing amount of NightMares monitoring her progress from the shadows. They melded in and out of the dark and each other with sinister grunts and the clip clop of hooves on stone that set her on edge. A soft sound behind her caused her to jump into the air and spin around, wide eyed and ready for a fight.  
Her breath hitched in her throat when she realized what she was seeing. Pitch.

The man seemed thinner than normal, his lanky, battered frame collapsed against a large stone. The dark robe he wore was in tatters and hung off one shoulder to showcase a pattern of ugly bruises across his gray skin. A blood so dark it looked black trickled from his mouth as his head lolled back, his sunken eyes closed.

Tooth covered her mouth with both hands as she approached the fallen being slowly. Her chest tightened when she was close enough to truly assess the damage. Never before had she seen him so vulnerable….Here she had come here thinking that he was commanding the NightMares when really it was what she had feared all along. How long had he been like this? Her brows drew together in worry as she knelt down beside him. Slowly and gently she reached out and took the fragile hand resting on the stone floor. Pitches suddenly eyes shot open and a yelp of terror escaped before he deftly rolled from the rock and melded into the shadows. The movement was so quick that it left Tooth staring at a barren stone with an outstretched hand.  
Slowly she stood, eyes darting around the room. There were many sets of eyes watching her…but none of them belonged to who she was looking for. After a couple of patient yet nerve wracking minutes a quiet voice echoed though the cavern.

"Y-you…" The fairy felt another pang in her chest at the raspy, broken voice. Was this really the same man they had fought earlier that year? "Why have you come…to see for yourself how far I've fallen?….or to finish me off…"

Tooth frowned sadly, eyes finally distinguishing where the voice was coming from. Pitch was clinging to the side of the globe for support, trying to hide his lanky frame in the shadows. "No…I….I…" She took a small step towards him "I just want to help…" Really? Was she really going to help the guardian's worst enemy?

At her words Pitch laughed, the echoing sound holding only sorrow and sarcasm. "You!? Help me!?" He stopped to cough roughly before continuing. "Why would you care about me? Stop being ridiculous and tell me why you're-" His words cut off with a yelp and the fairy could just make out the weak frame collapse The blur of a NightMare dart back into the shadows.  
Quickly and without thinking Tooth rushed to the Nightmare Kings side. He was now on his knees, doubled over, thin arms wrapped around his body.  
Cautiously and gently she placed a hand on a thin, quivering shoulder but was shrugged off immediately.

"Either kill me or LEAVE." The word resonated though out the cave and was answered by multiple whinnies in the darkness that made Tooth shiver. She glanced around the room only to see the dark horses darting through the air, now disregarding the shadows entirely. Their burning eyes seemed to be focused on the pair crouched in the darkness.  
At the hostile sounds around them the man looked up at her for the first time. The silvery golden eyes were dull and pained, holding nothing but sorrow and great fear. With her lips pressed into a straight line she hardened her resolve. No one deserved to be tossed to the nightmares….not even her enemy…even if the others would argue that he deserved it.

In a quick movement she grabbed hold of the other, wrapping her arms around him and took off at full speed before he was even able to cry out in protest. He was much lighter than she imaged he would be, then again, all she could feel under the arms circling him was skin and bone. He had always been thin, but never like this….  
Even as they flew she could feel Pitch struggling, gasping and grunting, all the while trying to wriggle out of her arms. "I'm saving you from them, stop struggling!" She let out a cry of exasperation and finally dropped him onto his feet when they reached the room she had first entered into.  
Miraculously the Nightmare king kept his balance as he stumbled towards her, jabbing an accusing finger into her chest.

"I did not ask for your assistance. Can you not just leave me in peace?" He winced and grabbed his side where she had held him. A pang of regret ran through her. Maybe it hadn't been the best idea to grab him when he's so injured….

"Look at you, Pitch! You need help…" Her voice trailed off when she noticed the Nightmares rushing through the entrance they had come from into the shadows of this cave. A few darted close to them before back into the mass of moving black forms. Time to go…  
At the sight of the swirling black mass the man seemed almost petrified with fear and it took the fairy tugging his hand to get him moving towards the shaft of light that was the exit.

"I can't…." He huffed in between words "Run….." It was true. With Pitches slow, injured gait, it didn't take long for the NightMares to catch up and dart into their path. Tooth stopped abruptly, turning towards her unwitting companion just in time for his momentum to carry him straight into her hovering form. Both of them stood their unmoving and shocked for a moment trying to comprehend that their lips were now pressed together.  
Tooth darted backward, a mix of emotion, although mostly embarrassed and flustered. Any other time she would start babbling but there were more important matters to deal with then a little….accident like that.  
Her eyes darted around the NightMares that were getting even more riled up before looking back to Nightmare King. Something was wrong. His eyes were wide and unseeing, almost glassy. His expression was a mix of a confusion, surprise and sorrow. His mouth hung slightly open, showing a row of jagged crooked teeth that made her cringe.

"….Pitch?"

-  
The first emotion upon seeing the feathery guardian in his lair had not been anger but a mix of relief and confusion. To see another person…To know that he wasn't entirely forgotten by the world and just left to his fate.

After the NightMares had dragged him down and sealed the entranced there had been nowhere to hide. He was too weak to fight so the only thing he could do was succumb to their attacks. They smelt his fear, his weakness. They resented him for it; his powerlessness.  
It seemed that only when he stopped moving and stayed completely silent did they leave him alone. The assaults became less frequent when they somehow managed to slip out of the underground and continue their job, working separately from him. But even then…sometimes they attacked anyway, leaving him broken and unconscious somewhere. It was from one of those beatings that the soft hand of Toothiana had woken him.

When he finally came to his senses and the initial relief of seeing her passed, he realized that there must be some reason she came. To taunt him perhaps? No….she wasn't the type. Gain knowledge? To see if he was controlling the NightMares work and stop him?

And then she dared to say she wanted to help him. LIES. No one wanted to help him. No one cared about him, the Nightmare King. If he disappeared no one would mourn…no one would even notice.

When she picked his battered and bruised body off the ground to safety, however, he start to doubt himself. And that just made him angry. He lashed out at her and STILL she persisted in trying to help. By then he didn't really care. His body was sore and tired, each breath coming out in a labored rasp, yet still he ran. The last thing he expected was for her to stop short and couldn't do anything to stop his collision with her. His last coherent thought was the realization that his dry, cracked and bloody lips were pressed to hers.

It was like a dam breaking; a wall crumbling. His previous life flooded back to him as images flashed before his eyes. Emotions, faces, voices…. "Daddy…"  
Of a brave man; a general in fact, leading an army of light against the dark; fighting valiantly on the side of good to vanquish the fearlings.  
Of a loving Father, making a promise to his beloved daughter that he would rid the world of the darkness to protect her….to return to her.  
Of a weary man, guarding the gates of the captive fearlings day in and day out without fail, setting longing eyes upon the picture of a daughter he hadn't seen in ages and wanted to return to.  
Of the crafty evil creatures using that love against him, tricking him to open their prison.  
Of the fearlings that rushed into his body, twisting his mind and heart into darkness, bending him to their will. Of the man that he once was.  
General Kozmotis Pitchiner.

-  
Tooth flitted around her now almost frozen companion. He had been like this for a couple minutes now; minutes that dragged on and on when you have NightMares watching your every move. She whimpered, clutching her hands together nervously as the dark horses suddenly became more agitated.  
She glanced quickly to Pitches face but was suddenly transfixed by what she saw. Tears ran down his gray skin and his previous expression had changed to one of horror, regret and lose. But perhaps the most shocking change was his eyes. No longer were they a dull silvery gold, but a striking bronze gold that shone brighter than Sandmans. In this case they shone with tears.

"…Pitch..?" She asked again quietly and was rewarded with those tear filled eyes darting to meet hers. He opened his mouth to speak but only a breathy sob escaped. He shook his head, eyes darting away and then back to search her face. His mouth was still open as if to speak when suddenly a scream escaped him.  
The lanky man dropped to his knees and covered his head with both arms, doubling over as a darkness poured from his body. Black and twisting it slithered away from the body it had just exited to meld with the shadows. But still, Pitch screamed.  
Now quite terrified Tooth began backing away, flying upwards slightly. What was going on…?  
The NightMares took this opportunity to swarm him, giving Tooth just enough room to dart up and out of the way. She looked down at the roiling mass of black with a horrified expression when suddenly a voice boomed from within it.

"Listen to me now! You MADE ME and I shall COMMAND YOU." This was not the voice of the man she had been speaking with previously. It sounded like Pitch, yes, but…..different….

From the corner of her eye she caught the movement of an inky mass forming to her left and suddenly felt the crushing sensation of fear. As its body took shape it didn't take long to figure out that this was no NightMare. It was much bigger; it's eyes burning red as it stared at her. In some odd way it could be compared to a dog or perhaps a jungle cat.  
Tooth quickly darted to the exit, wings beating faster than she thought possible. All previous thoughts were now only taken by the need to escape the creature; for self-preservation. But it was fast and on her tail in a matter of seconds.

With a squeak of terror she braced herself to be ripped to shreds. Unexpectedly a black scythe was brought down upon the creatures back causing it to liquefy into shadows again. The man who wielded it was jumped through the air towards her.  
Tooth's wide, fear filled eyes followed the scythe as she then braced for impact but it did not come. Instead, it turned and cut down three NightMares that were rushing her from the left. She stared at his face, transfixed. He appeared to still be injured; his robe still in tattered, his body still bruised…yet his features held a look of pained determination and his eyes an heir of nobility and honor. The Nightmare King grit his crooked teeth as he swung his massive weapon to protect her yet again.

"Go!" The urgency in his voice brought her out of her daze. "FLY! LEAVE QUICKLY!" The roar of the shadows rising towards them almost drowned out the words.

"Not without you!" She yelled back. Was this man really Pitch Black?

In one swift movement he was right next to her, their eyes meeting for a minute before he used his upward momentum to throw her towards the exit. She watched helplessly as he then plummeted back down toward the moving shadows, weapon at the ready.  
With a pained expression and no choice but to leave Tooth made it the last few feet through the cavern and out into the light. The Sun had set a while ago and she could feel the Man in the Moons gaze as she collapsed exhaustedly in the grass. Tiredly she crawled over to the hole to look down but a thick black smoke was oozing out; its wisps just reaching above ground before collapsing back into the dark.

Toothiana only stared into the dark, crestfallen and weary. She let her head hang as she tried to figure out how to feel. He had saved her….Pitch had SAVED her….Yet….she couldn't just forget everything he had done. Kidnapping her fairies. Taking over their powers….Trying to kill them….

After about an hour of conflicted thoughts and watching the smoky shadows dance around the entrance she picked herself up off the ground to make the flight home. He was probably gone…dead….no one man could fight off that many NighMares. Not to mention whatever that other creature was.

The fairy sighed sadly. She supposed she should tell the rest of the guardians what she had witnessed.

**Author's note:**

At this point some things are probably not making sense like Pitch regaining his memories, but fret not! All shall be explained in due time.  
Also, I haven't been able to get my grubby little hands on the books yet so unfortunately all I know of Pitches backstory is that which I've read online and what people tell me. SO, there will probably be a LOT that isn't proper and cannon to the books storyline. Let's just say I'm doing my best I can.

Another note. This started as a drabble so that's probably why my writing isn't up to par. As well as the fact that my writing skills have for some reason mysteriously disappeared. It's probably safe to say that I will gain them back as I continue writing.

Not sure how many chapters there are going to be or where I'm even going with this. So I guess it'll be an adventure. ^^


	2. Chapter 2

When Tooth arrived back at her palace she was immediately greeted by her hundreds of fairies. Some chirping happily while others chirped irritated because they had worried. It was the human voice that startled her.

"Off working the field?" Jack Frost jumped down from his perch on the side of a tower and landed beside her with a grin what quickly faded when he saw her expression. "What's wrong?"

The fairies brows drew close together as she pulled Jack into a hug to comfort herself. As she pulled away she spoke. "I…I did something I probably shouldn't have…..and I think I got someone killed…"

"What..?" Jack put his hands on his friend's shoulders, a worried expression on his face. "Tooth, tell me what happened…"

Tooth only shook her head. "Everyone needs to know…I have to call them here." The mix of emotions in her since she had exited the cave was making her ill; the most prominent being guilt. It was her fault that that had happened, she was sure of it. If she hadn't sought him out like she had he would at least still be alive. But it also made her guilty that she cared so much. WHY did she care so much? What would everyone else think? Would they be glad that he was gone?

She felt like crying as she looked into Jack's eyes.

"Tooth…..what happened…." The Frost spirits voice came out in a whisper. The look on the fairies face scared him. What had she done that was so bad?

"Please, Jack. Just….could you call the guardians….I…" Her voice cut off as she turned away for a moment. "I just need a minute."

Jack nodded before turning away solemnly to fulfill her request.

"Tooth! What is the matter!?" The large man inquired in his thick Russian accent as he plodded over to her. "Why such a grim face!?"

Tooth was perched on the ledge of her main square, eyes darting to one guardian to the next. She had to remember to thank Jack for getting them here in such good time on such short notice.

She bit her lip slightly before looking to the ground and starting her tale.  
"I…I just want you hear me out before you say anything…" she spoke quietly before continuing. "For the last couple of weeks I…." she hoped that they wouldn't judge her to terribly. "…I've been thinking about Pitch. I guess …the way that battle ended didn't sit too well with me."

She glanced up from her clutched hands to see Bunny shoot a look at North who only raised his brows.  
"I couldn't help but worry that something happened to him. But when Sandy told me the news that the NightMares were being spotted again it made me mad. So…." She tilted her head sheepishly. "I went to see him…"

"Tooth!" A chorus of the guardian's voices rang out at the revelation but it was Bunny that spoke.

"He could have killed ya! Do you realize how dangerous that was!?" Sandy jabbed an elbow into the rabbit's thigh and motioned to let her continue which he obliged with crossed arms.

"I don't know what came over me! I wasn't even thinking….but….when I got there and found him…." She trailed off remembering the image of the Nightmare King sprawled on the rock. "It was as I had been worrying about all along." She shook her head a pained expression on her face. "You should have seen him. I know that we all thought that that's what he deserved but….He was so broken. No one deserved that."

It was Jack to interrupt this time, his eyes wide. "Deserved?" She had said that she had killed someone…it couldn't have been…

The fairy interrupted his train of thought by continuing. "I guess I wanted to help him…so when the NightMares started attacking us I tried to get us out. He could barely run so we were quickly cut off and then….." She furrowed her brow. And then they had kissed….She couldn't tell them that. What would they think of her? She decided to skip that part but even then this was where things got fuzzy. "I don't know what happened. He doubled over and shadows started spilling from him."

Her companions listened intently with wide eyes, hanging off her words with a mix of emotions.

"I started to fly away in fear when something started to attack me. I had never seen anything like it. It was massive; inky black with red eyes. It was certainly no NightMare. As it was right on my tail and I was preparing to be killed Pitch…he….saved me."

There were many confused expressions at her words. "That's not possible…" Again it was Bunny to speak.  
"Are you sure that's what happened?" A Russian tinted inquiry came next. Jack and the Sandman only exchanged a glance.

"Yes…" The fairy assured them. "From out of nowhere his black scythe fell on the creatures back and it disappeared. Not only that but he killed a bunch of Nightmares that were after me as well."

"Are you sure that it wasn't a trick?" North spoke, his expression quizzical.

"It was no trick…there were so many nightmares at that point and as they rose towards us he jumped towards me and flung me to the entrance. He told me to run. To escape….while….he…." She felt the familiar tightening in her chest. "While he stayed to fight them…"

"What are you saying…?" Jack stood and took a step towards her.

"No one man could fight all of those nightmares. Not in the condition he was in." This last sentence was a whisper. "I think he's gone guys…."

They only stared at her, the realization not quite computing. "But…" North shook his head in disbelief. "It's Pitch." This was the thought that they all shared. Pitch Black, the boogeyman, The Nightmare King, had been around before any of them. It was impossible to think that he was gone.

Tooth hung her head, starting at her hands as she wrung them when suddenly she was embraced. The arms were massive. North's motion was followed by both Jack and Sandy while Bunny just stood, looking at the ground solemnly.

This lasted for a moment before North pulled away, laying his massive hands on her shoulders. "Is not your fault." He shook her slightly in emphasis to his words. "Do not blame yourself. Maybe what you did was right thing, maybe not. No one can say. But what's done is done, yes?" His sad blue eyes gazed into hers and she nodded, a little bit of weight lifted off her chest. At least they weren't mad.

"In the end….maybe he redeemed himself then…" They all turned to look at bunny who was still staring at the ground. He glanced up embarrassed when he noticed their stares. "Just a thought..." He looked away again sheepishly.

There wasn't much conversation to be had after that, only solemn nods as they departed, leaving Tooth alone, once again, with her thoughts.

She sat on the ledge for quite a while, contemplating the events from the hours previous until something drew her from her thoughts. She perked up and listened closely….footsteps? They were close too. Nervously she jumped into a hover. Maybe one of her friends forgot something? They were the only ones who could reach her palace.

She listened to the slow steps, wide eyes darting around until the figure finally rounded the bend. She gasped, shaking her head as the fairies around her started flitting everywhere in panic, chirping loudly.  
"I-impossible."

She didn't think it possible for the man to look even more battered than he was previously. How was he even standing? One arm was trying to stem the bleeding in a rather deep gash on his side while the other wrapped around his chest presumably to try and stop the pain from broken bones.  
Blood ran generously from deep gashes on his back and shoulders as well as his forehead. Tooth noticed he was seriously favoring his left leg as he walked.  
All the fairy could do was stare, both hands covering her mouth until he looked up at her with pleading eyes. His voice was raspy when he spoke. "I'm…sorry…I…didn't know where else do go…"  
In a flurry of wings she was by his side, slinging an arm over her shoulder and helping him to the ledge so he could sit down.

Once he took a seat Tooth hovered back a few feet to look at him, wringing her hands. What was she supposed to say to him? This was the Nightmare King….

"…Pitch…" She started but he cut her off, words calm yet firm.

"That's not who I am." His golden eyes looked up at her. "The man you knew…That was not me."

The fairy's mouth opened and closed like a fish. No words would form on her tongue until finally she was able to choke out… "What."

The man before her grimaced, doubling over in pain at his wounds. Strands of hair were now falling onto his face, most likely disheveled from his battle.

"S-sorry!" The fairies mind was whirring so quickly it was hard to focus. The most important thing right now was to try and fix some of those wounds. "Girls! Girls!" She whirled around to the fairies, trying to get their attention. Finally they hovering before her, shooting wary and untrusting looks at the man that had kidnapped them in the past. "Girls, I need your help right now. I need you to get me bandages, something to stitch wounds with…um….a cloth and water…" She spoke a mile a minute, barking orders.

She heard a quiet laugh behind her as the fairies whizzed away to retrieve what she had asked for. When she turned, miraculously, Pitch was smiling. The fairy readied herself for either taunting or self-pity and was shocked when the man spoke. "You'd make quite the general."

She stared, taken aback. "What?"

He coughed before speaking again. "You're an honorable commander. They are fortunate to serve under you."

Tooth stepped towards him both bewildered and enthralled. "You…really aren't him….Are you…?

"Pitchiner. Kozmotis Pitchiner." Despite the awful state of his health, he still spoke in a respectable tone.

She studied him thoughtfully. The name was familiar…She had heard it before when she skimmed North's books. She hadn't the time to sit and read all of the tales contained, but she couldn't help her curiosity to at least look. Now she wished she had.  
There was a tap on her shoulder from one of her fairies as they started arriving with the supplies and carefully and wearily placing them near the injured man.

Tooth nervously looked up and down the lanky man's inured body not knowing where to start. There was so much….  
She stepped forward reaching out but then on a second thought, spoke. "May I?" Her voice was soft yet solemn as she gestured to his barely recognizable cloak.

"Of course." He nodded slightly. She slipped the blood soaked robe from his shoulders feeling her heart jump at the damage. Almost every inch of his pale gray skin was mottled in dark bruises. The worse injures, however was the horrible gash on his side and a second on his upper shoulder.

She bit her lip slightly before wringing out a cloth and gently washing off the caked on blood. She felt him flinch as she good close to the gash on his side and looked up at him apologetically.  
"Don't worry….I've suffered injuries as bad as this." He set his jaw, frowning. " I should be thanking you repeatedly for even agreeing to help at all….after….all I've done…."

The fairy looked up at him warily but continued her work. "I….guess I just assumed you didn't remember…"

Pitchiner looked away in shame. "All of the horrible things I did…." He let out a short breath. "I remember them as clear as day. For all intents and purposes the…._Nightmare King_," He spat out the name in contempt "Was me."

Tooth glanced at him surprised. "I…I thought you said that you were a different person?" She dropped the cloth back into the now pink water and picked up her needle and stich thread. "This will hurt…" She warned him meekly as she gingerly prodded the worst gash on his side. He was so thin that the boney rips were protruding sickly and there didn't seem to be enough to skin to pull together to close the gash.

"It's no matter, as I've said, I've been through worse." He sucked in a breath when she started, grimacing with each tug. "As for-" He gasped but continued, determined to distract himself from the pain. "As for that man being me….well…a very long time ago, during the golden age war I was….." He stopped to look for the right word. "….corrupted by fearlings. Living nightmares. Evil creatures. For too long they controlled me, warped me….twisted my mind into something dark. And stole all memories of-" He stopped short this time causing Tooth, who had been hanging off every word to look up.

The gray skinned man looked away, his eyes full of sorrow, mouth pulled into a grim line. "..of my life. My family…" His voice almost broke at the last word.

The fairy suddenly felt the sorrow rolling of him as she continued stitching before moving onto the next wound. All this time…All this time Pitch was a good man. All the time they spent hating him, fighting him they had just assumed it was what he had always been. A dark, evil being before he had even been chosen. But….he hadn't been chosen, had he. He had been possessed, twisted into that evil creature by darkness. Made to forget his life….lose everything.

Tooth, being the protector of memories knew how important this was. How heartbreaking….if only she could have helped him sooner….  
She stopped he work suddenly having a realization. Stupid! Stupid her for not realizing it earlier. It had been her. When she had…..kissed…him, she had inadvertently activated his memories…restored them.

"What is it?" Pitchiner turned slightly to look at her when he didn't feel her continue.

The fairy looked up at him embarrassed as the golden eyes searched her face. "I…well…." Her face turned red. "When you bumped into me in the cave….and well….that happened. I activated your memories accidentally…being that close to teeth….." She giggled sheepishly as the man's face lit up in awe and gratefulness at this.

"From the deepest part of my heart. Thank you Toothiana." With his boney pale hands he took one of hers. "You saved me from another eternity of misery and hatred. I am forever in your debt." Gently he kissed her hand before letting it go.

The fairies face was now blushing a deeper red than ever before as she thought of something to say. Usually she babbled yet in his presence it seemed she was constantly at a loss for words. She tried to stop it but a giggle escaped. She had always known that Pitch had a sick sense of charm that had irritated them. This was obviously where it came from; the real, original thing.

"It's….it's fine. Really. I was an accident." She finished off the last stiches and picked up a roll of bandages. She started on the lesser wounds on his arms, moving finally to the ones on his chest and back. She turned a deep red at having to wrap her arms around him to wrap the bandages but he didn't say a word.

Finally she hovered backward to inspect her handiwork but couldn't help but inspect the man as well. Even as sickly thin as he was, his long arms and legs were still toned. He wore nothing but a pair of black pants that rode low and snuggly on his hips. His gray skin was pale, almost white on his torso. Or at least what she could see that wasn't bruised. There were multiple white lines of scars scattered over his body. She supposed he wasn't joking when he said he had suffered injures like this before.

Tooth shook her head slightly before addressing him. "That's the best I can do for now…" She wished she could do more for him. She was no doctor though and had no idea how to even diagnose broken bones, never mind fix them. "Where will you go?" She asked quietly.

"I…" He frowned, rubbing the back of his hand. "I'm really not sure."

"You can…" she bit her lip. "Stay here…until you've recovered..…"

Pitchiner raised his eyebrows shocked. "You would let me stay here. Even after everything I've done?" he grit his teeth at the memories of kidnapping the tiny creatures flitting around.

"Of course! You're not well and I can't help but feel somewhat responsible for what happened."

He smiled at her gratefully. "I will try and not be an awful guest.

**AUTHORS NOTE:  
**This chapter probably isn't the greatest. Well...I don't like it very much at least. Kinda didn't really plan before I sat down to write it. I have an IDEA where I want it to end but I have no idea how I'm going to get there yet. Need to give it a bit of thought I suppose.

Well, I hope you enjoy regardless. I like I said before, I don't know what's canon in the books so concerning that let's just call this an au.


	3. Chapter 3

Tooth flitted around her castle giving half-hearted orders to her fairies. Even though there was so much on her mind there was always still work to be done. However, her thoughts were completely taken by Pitchiner who she had left in one of her guest towers to rest.

There was so much she didn't understand about him. So much she wanted to know yet….she couldn't help but feel…it wasn't quite intimidated but, nervous around him? There was something so regal about the man that was so different than the shifty conniving one that she knew him to be before.

Tooth shook her head. There was still the matter of the guardians that she had yet to address. Of course she had to tell them…or did she? They believed him dead which was in a way true…..and they seemed to be ok with her previous news. How would they take this?

The fairy was shaken from her thoughts when baby tooth fluttered before her chirping, a stern look on her face. Tooth sighed addressing the tiny fairy "I know I need rest….but…I've left you girls on your own for such a while. I would feel bad taking another break so soon…." The little fairy only raised a brow and crossed her arms before nodding her head to the queen fairies tower.

Toothiana sighed and nodded, taking baby tooth's assurance. Her fairies knew what they were doing; she supposed she should give them a little more credit. With a small smile she flew up to her chambers, dropping unceremoniously into her hammock like bed. It was only minutes before she felt her eyes closing and realized how exhausted she truly was. It didn't take long before she was out completely.

….

Pitchiner awoke with a start, the lingering nightmare still fresh in his mind. For the short hours he had spent unconscious he had been forced to relive the pain he had inflicted on others as the nightmare king. The pain he had inflicted on the guardians, one of which who had graciously invited him to stay.

Painfully he sat up from the bed, slowly swinging his long legs over the side. What was he _doing_ here… How could any of the guardians trust him after everything he had done? Why would Toothiana trust him? He could still feel the hole in his mouth from where she punched his tooth out, which of course he had deserved at the time. The thought made him smile though.  
Despite her fair appearance she was a fighter, stronger than people gave her credit for. As a General he had spent years looking for the strength and resolve that he saw in Tooth. He couldn't help but like her.

A sudden twinge of pain from his side brought him back to the present, making him remember how injured he really was. His assurance to Tooth that he had suffered worst in the past was only to comfort her. In truth his past injures couldn't hold a torch to what he had suffered in the cavern the day previous.

He considered lying back down but the thought of another nightmare drove him to stand. Perhaps he would watch Tooth at work for a while….

Pitchiner grit his teeth as he straightened, mentally supressing the pain as he looked around the room for any article of clothing to cover his injured body. Golden eyes fell on a silver robe set out on a beautifully adorned stand. Had she left this for him?  
Slowly he limped over to the silky robe, taking it in his hands. As he experimentally slid it on the soft cool fabric seemed to sooth his bruised skin. He loosely tied the sash around his thin waist when his eyes fell on the doorway to the stairs. There was no way around it, but the trip down was going to be an awful one which he dreaded.

With a look of determination in his eyes the general set out for the long and painful journey down.

….

Jack started to worry as soon as he touched down in the golden palace and didn't see Toothiana. Her fairies were still hard at work, but….there was no sign of their queen.

It had only been about 12 hours after the guardians departed from their impromptu meeting and the entire time that he had been out at work he had worried. Tooth had been a wreck. She obviously blamed herself for what happened to Pitch. But the ice spirit supposed that he would too if he had been in her shoes. In truth, ever since Pitch's defeat Jack had been having similar thoughts to what the fairy had been. He had regretted how the battle ended and couldn't stop wondering if there had been another way.

As the boy had been flying to the next town he had turned, and instead made his way to Tooth Palace. Even if she didn't think she wanted someone around, Jack felt that she needed a friend; a friend to tell her that everything was ok…well…as ok as everything was, anyway.

But at the fairy's absence Jack found himself afraid that she had done something rash again in her sorrow. Had she went back to see if she could find Pitch? He could feel the sudden rush of adrenaline through him in fear for his friend when he heard the footsteps on the stairs. The relief that rushed through him was short lived when he realized that it couldn't be Tooth. She didn't walk, she _flew_.

The winter spirit quickly darted to the top of a pillar and hid in the shadows. As the footsteps drew nearer he readied his staff with narrowed eyes.

It took a minute to compute what he was seeing when the figure melded out of the darkness from the stairway. '_Pitch?'  
_The shock of seeing the man whom he thought dead quickly died and turned to anger. Had he done something with Tooth?! Jack's mind quickly drew the memories of the last time he had seen Pitch in the palace. What dark deed was he fulfilling here _this time?_

In his anger the frost spirit didn't even notice the man's attire, injuries or the limping gait as he launched himself, staff ready to strike, at the Nightmare King.

"What have you done with Tooth!? Where is she!?" Even though he shouted these questions he didn't leave the taller man any time to answer as he swung the staff down.

The boy's sudden appearance startled the general and gave him only a sliver of a second to defend himself. The large black scythe appeared in his skilled hands as he brought it up enough just to block the blow. He grimaced at the pain the exertion brought but muscled through it.

"Jack! Calm down please!" He pleaded as he gave a shove to the staff, pushing the boy back slightly and backing away.

The winter sprite recovered quickly, attacking again. "Not until you tell me what you've done with Tooth!"

This time the silver robed man wasn't quick enough on the defense and was flung back by the icy force, colliding with the wall. In a shout of pain he slid down the wall and into a crumpled heap on the ground. The black scythe fell from his hand and disappeared in a wisp on smoke. All of the pain from his previous injuries came rushing back, clouding the general's mind. He only opened his eyes when he felt the cold and threatening touch of his opponent's weapon at his throat.

"_Pitch,_" Jack spat as he breathed heavily, looking down at the other man, blue eyes finally calming. How did he ever feel pity for this man? "We all thought you were dead."

Pitchiner shifted his sore body and slipped his hand under his robe only to draw it out again covered in blood. The stiches on his side must have torn. "Jack, please….look at me." The golden eyes pleaded with the boy. "I am not the Pitch you knew." Slowly and deliberately he slipped the robe from his shoulders so the boy could really get a look at the condition he was in. "Tooth is _helping _me."

Jack immediately pulled his staff away, his expression uncertain as he took in his adversary's condition. Was what he was saying the truth or was it a trick? "Then…..where is she?"

With crooked teeth bared in a grimace the general stood, robe clutched in his hand. "I haven't…" he gasped a breath. "…the slightest idea…I'm sorry." He leaned against the wall for support. The whole situation was in Jack's hands. What now?

Still worried about Tooth the boy studied Pitch for a moment, leaning on his staff in thought. "Ok then….Tell me. What happened?" His expression held concern for his missing friend.

"In the cavern, when Toothiana found me she accidentally restored my memories, allowing me to banish the fearlings from my body….As we were escaping I stayed to fight them off so she could get away." He grimaced again, laying a hand on his bleeding side. "I won…just narrowly…and I….I didn't know where else to go."

Jack listened intently but took the story with a grain of salt. It matched with Tooth's story but….it was hard to trust anything that this man said. Even so…

With a sigh the younger spirit took the man's arm and helped him to the ledge to sit down. "So, Pitch, you really have no idea where Tooth is?"

"No…" the man responded, shaking his head. "And…I am no longer the Nightmare King. It's Kozmotis Pitchiner."

Jack chewed his lip. Why wouldn't Tooth tell them that Pitch had showed up? Where WAS she? "Ok…I hope you can understand the fact that I still can't trust you right? I mean…I WANT TO; don't get me wrong, but….after everything you've done? It's hard to just forget it."

The general looked down and sighed. "I expected no less from you Jack…I really didn't expect any trust or respect from any of you really…" His voice was sad as his golden eyes studied Jack's feet. "I was shocked when Tooth actually helped me, let alone offer to let me recover here."

There was just something about the other man now that made Jack want to believe him. The way he spoke…the way he held himself. He seemed respectable; regal almost and COMPLETELY different from the old Pitch. Perhaps…he was telling the truth?

Jack finally came to a decision. "Would you understand if I asked you to come to the North Pole so we can all figure this out together?" Everyone had to know about this.

"Of course…" Pitchiner nodded quickly. Everything hurt…and he couldn't help but feel a tiny amount of nervousness. He very highly doubted that things would go south, but in his condition…. if they did he would be entirely at the mercy of the guardians. "Take me there."

Mouth pressed into a thin line, the young spirit pulled a snow globe from his pocket. North had given it to him after his Guardian initiation just in case he needed to fast travel. With a thought of the North Pole he tossed it into the air. With an odd pop and the sound of wind the colorful portal appeared before them.

With a gasping breath and great difficulty the general stood and pulled his robe back on. He didn't bother to tie the sash as he slipped his hand over the wound to stem the bleeding. When he took a painful step forward he couldn't help but be surprised when the frost spirit took him arm to help. He nodded his appreciation as they stepped through the mystical doorway.

Travelling through the portal was an odd sensation, almost like falling, and as they arrived Pitchiner found himself clinging onto the younger man for support. They were met by familiar sight of the North Pole's main control room, as well as half a dozen gawking yeti's. It was the few elves in the room that moved first, squealing in fear and dashing around the room, arms flung in the air.

"What is with all the fuss!?" North bustled into the room, stopping dead when he laid eyes on the two arrivals.

"_Pitch_…." He took a step forward, shock displayed in his eyes. "You were supposed to be dead."

"He is dead." The general grimaced as Jack helped him sit down on a nearby bench. "It's Pitchiner now."

The dawning realization of what the injured man was saying washed over North's face, but was soon replaced by a skeptical look. "Ok. You say that your memories have been restored? Tell me how." He lumbered over to Pitchiner, towering over him with a frown.

"Tooth….restored them accidentally. I very happy accident I think." His golden eyes rose to meet North's but then fell in shame. "I….I feel that….I must apologize for the heartache I have caused you all these years." His voice fell to a whisper. "I have no words for the shame it brings me…to remember the pain I brought you…"

North stared at the seated man, tapping his foot as he assessed the situation as well as the man's injuries. "I can't help but feel that you are telling truth." He said slowly "But I have question. What brings you here?"

It was then that the ice spirit who had been watching the scene intently spoke up. "When I dropped by the tooth palace I found him wandering around…..But there was no sign of Tooth herself."

"What? Tooth is missing?" North's eyes shot back down to the General. He understood why then Jack had brought him here. "You do not know where she is?"

Pitchiner met the question with a slight and apologetic shake of the head. "No, I'm just as in the dark as you."

North pulled Jack aside, raising a finger to the general in a sign to wait as they exited the room. "I know now why you brought him here, Jack. I feel that he is telling truth but….With his past and Tooth missing we cannot afford to take chance…." He frowned.

"I'm worried about Tooth, North…What if this is a trick. What if he did something to her…?" Jack's brows drew together as he looked up at his friend.

"I have same thoughts…but…I don't get that feel from him. I'm sure you feel it too, Jack." He sighed and they were both silent as they thought. "We need to get bunny and Sandy here."

…...

It took less than half an hour for the guardians, minus Tooth, to be crowded in North's office and quickly debriefed. They had left the apparent ex-Nightmare King in the control room to be watched by the yeti's.

"He's obviously lyin' to ya." Bunny frowned, pounding a fist into his other hand. "Give me ten minutes with 'im. I can make 'im tell us where Tooth is."

"Bunny wait…" Jack was leaning on the wall near North's desk. "You haven't spoken to him. He really does seem to be telling the truth….Except…"

"It's too much of a coincidence…." North finished the sentence. They were all silent for a moment, considering the options.

"Any ideas from you Sandy?" Jacks question was met only by a grim expression and a shake of the golden head. His entire demeanor was uncharacteristic. It reminded Jack of the other guardians reactions when they had thought the little man dead. _Killed by Pitch_. The man sitting in the other room.

Bunnymunnd finally spoke. "I say we just start lookin'. She might be out collecting teeth for all we know. If so, she shouldn't be too hard to find."

"What do we do with Pitch then...He's to injured to move, let alone help us…" The thought of the other man's injuries made him cringe.

"Even if he was fine and dandy I wouldn't want 'im helping us. How can ya trust the blighter after all he's done!? I say we lock 'im up." The suggestion was only an angry thought but was met with thoughtful faces. Maybe that WAS the best thing to do for now….at least until they found Tooth and proved Pitch's innocence in the matter.

"It is not the worst idea…" North stood to address his companions in all seriousness. "But only until we find Toothy. This is a place of joy, not a prison." The words were firm and met with solemn nods of agreement.

…

The general looked up with surprise when the guardians walked in. _They were all here?_ _Had something actually happened to Toothiana? _The thought made his heart skip a beat. He dreaded the idea of anything happening to the one who basically saved his life, a life which he would gladly lay down to protect her; if only just as repayment.

His golden eyes searched the grim faces of the guardians as Jack stepped forward. "I'm sorry… 'Pitchiner', but….we can't afford to trust you….not with Tooth still missing." It was almost a relief to to injured man to hear that she was still only missing and not something worse.

The general nodded solemnly, still clutching his wound. It had stopped bleeding but it still hurt horribly. "I expected so. I do not deserve your trust." He noticed then what Jack was holding, causing his stomach to drop. He swallowed and brought his hands together in his lap in resignation. "Do whatever you must to me. I only hope that you find Tooth in good health."

The frost spirit stepped forward, uncertain now with the guardian's decision. He looked back to his companions for support and was met with a small nod from North and a stern look from Bunny.

With a heavy sigh Jack fastened the shackles around the older man's thin wrists. "I'm sorry…" He spoke quietly to his ex-enemy. "This doesn't feel right."

Pitchiner nodded and allowed Jack to pull him to his feet. "This is less than I deserve, do not feel bad, Jack…"

The general allowed himself to be led slowly by Jack and North into the elevator. He leaned heavily on the ice spirit, clenching his jaw in pain but keeping his face calm in resignation to his fate. Both guardians kept shooting him apologetic looks in the elevator as it travelled downwards.

"I want to apologize now for chilly temperature down here…" North broke the silence at the doors opened to a stone hall. "Down here isn't used often…"

A spark of fear flickered in Pitchiner's chest but he swallowed it. He stepped out of the elevator, still leaning on Jack's shoulder. The hall reminded him to much of his previous self's lair. There were a couple doors on either side of the hall; one of with North led them too. With a large key he opened the lock and pushed the door open in silence, pulling the chord for light and motioning for them to enter.

With the light now on the room was by no means dark, but there were still eerie shadows being cast on every surface. The back half of the space was fenced off by silver bars and benches lined every wall. It was basically a cell. Silently the Russian opened the cell door and shot a look at Pitchiner with shamed eyes.

The general only nodded at the larger man when he noticed the glance. THIS was more of what he had expected. He supposed that the kindness he got from Tooth had only been one last happiness before his punishment. By the gods, he hoped she was ok…

As Jack helped him sit on the bench he realized the cool air was already getting to him. Usually it wouldn't have bothered him…but in his weakened state and with only the thin robe to protect himself he had started to shiver. He crossed his arms as far as the shackles would reach for warmth. "Go. You have a friend to search for."

Both of them seemed to want to leave as soon as possible to avoid looking at the man they were sure was innocent; injured and shackled in a cell. Before North closed the cell door he slipped his large red coat from his shoulders and draped it over Pitchiners. Gratefully the thinner man pulled the coat that was miles too big for him closer for warmth and nodded gratefully. "I'll try not to bleed on it."

North swallowed and nodded before locking the barred door. The two guardians felt awful as they turned to leave. Everything their minds were telling them was that the Nightmare king really was gone. That Kozmotis Pitchiner really was sitting before them. But even so, they turned their backs and shut the room's door, leaving the general alone with only the shadows for company.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**  
So I finally know where I'm going with this, which is nice...well...You guys might hate me for it but. My story, it'll be as full of angst and depression as I want :)

Also...I hope the writing in this chapter is ok. I dunno. I guess I'm overly critical of myself. I edit and re-edit and every time I do I change a bunch ._. So I apologize for spelling errors. I think I get them all but every time I re-read it I find a bunch. Oops .

I love all of you for reading an reviewing. Makes me want to continue. I'm hopefully gonna finish by christmas or right after. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy it. Even though it's a little unrealistic. Oh well!


	4. Chapter 4

Tooth awoke slowly and rolled out of her hammock. As she stretched her arms she wondered how long she had been asleep because either way, she felt completely refreshed. The fairy couldn't remember the last time she had slept for longer than a couple of hours at a time.

With the haze of sleep still hanging in her brain she fluttered over to the pocket watch she kept to check the time. Her eyes widened as she stared at it. That couldn't be right. According to the clock she had been out for sixteen hours? She had been asleep that long? Within the minute, the fairy was wide awake and darting out the window. How could she have just laid there while there was an injured man under her roof?

Tooth's mind raced as she flitted to the other tower. Was he ok? How were his wounds healing? From experience she knew that spirits had a faster rate of healing than a humans….but his injuries were awful.

When she softly landed on the window sill of Kozmotis' room the fairy realized immediately that her guest was not there. She stepped in lightly, searching for a clue. It appeared the robe she had left him was gone….a wave of guilt hit her. What if he had been wandering the palace for hours looking for her?

With a furrowed brow she darted out the window but was met head on by 4 of her fairies, led by baby tooth. "Girls!" her voice held worry "Have you seen Pitchiner?"

All four started chirping at once and she hushed them. Baby tooth spoke up, explaining what she had witnessed.

The fairies face fell, eyes widening in horror. "Jack….attacked him?" She supposed that it was a natural reaction, finding the Nightmare King wandering the palace with no sign of the fairy queen. "You say that they left through a portal…." What had happened…?

Tooth wrung her hands in worry. Had Kozmotis been injured in the attack? Jack was indeed strong, and in his condition, the man would have had no chance against him. "I'm sorry for leaving you again, but I have to go!"

Leaving the tiny fairies in the dust, Toothiania took to the sky, flying as fast as her wings would carry her to the North Pole. The snow globe portal could have taken them anywhere, but North's home had always functioned as the Guardians base. It was always a good first place to look.

….

"Any luck?" Jack returned tiredly to the Pole with Bunny, to see North and Sandy already there waiting for them. The Golden man only shook his head, a downtrodden expression on his face.

The ice sprite sighed and collapsed in a chair. They had been at it for hours. He and Bunny had already searched most of Europe and North and Sandy had made quick work of Asia.

"And we're sure that Pitch had nothin' to do with it." Bunny collapsed tiredly on a bench, eyeing his companions. The question was met by uncertain faces. "I mean. It IS one massive coincidence that he shows up and she goes missing. 'Specially right after that little "Take over the world" stunt he pulled."

"I have to admit, circumstances are not in his favor, yes. But his story matches Toothy's!" The Russian frowned. It was his gut feeling that the general was telling the truth, against all of the circumstantial evidence…

"Bunny…" Jack tried to sooth his friend, thinking to the man they had left in the cell. It was hard to imagine him hurting Tooth….Not with his injuries or his changed attitude. He was a different person…most certainly not the evil man they had fought. "Maybe it IS just a coincidence though…." His argument was weak….but the Easter Bunny would not take the 'It's my gut feeling he's good' argument.

"Well, HAVE ya interrogated 'im? Hm?" The rabbit tapped his foot anxiously "He's a shadowy, conniving bugger that could have us all fooled for all we know."

North's mouth was pulled in a grim line as he addressed the bunny. "There will be no interrogation. I feel that he is telling truth…..in my belly. When has my belly ever lied to you?"

Bunny raised an eyebrow and sighed. "Fine. So he's a good guy now. Then WHERE is Tooth?"

It was then that a feminine voice filled the room. "I have a question myself. Where is Pitchiner?"

The guardians turned to see the familiar silhouette of their friend in the doorway. "Tooth!" Her exclaimed name was shortly followed by a group hug from her friends.

"Where were ya!? We were lookin' everywhere!"

"I was _asleep _in my palace." Her words were as stern as her expression as she searched the faces of her friends. "Jeez! What did you think!? That I was dead?" She crossed her arms.

"Well….." Jack spoke up, his expression sheepish. "When I found Pitch there instead of you…I…" It was then that the horror hit him. They really did have an innocent, injured man shackled and locked up.

"The coincidence was fishy…" North finished the sentence, guilt playing across his face.

"Guys…" The fairy narrowed her eyes. "Where is he….?

The question was met with guilty glances exchanged which worried her even more. When North pulled out two keys, one a large skeleton key, the other a tiny sliver one Tooth's face fell. The fairy dropped to her feet, shuffling over and slowly plucking them from the Russians hand. She knew exactly what they were for and in a burst of anger punched North's arm.

"Tooth…I…" The blow did not hurt physically but caused the Russian to look down in shame.

"You locked up an innocent man for nothing? I was asleep! IN MY PALACE!" With a shrill voice and angry expression, she turned to Jack. "Did you even SEARCH for me there!?"

The ice spirit was taken aback at the fairies accusation and only looked down in shame. No…But he should have….it was the first thing that he should have done.

With a cry of exasperation Tooth turned and left the room, fluttering quickly to the elevator. The anger at her friends was already dissipating. Deep down she knew that they had only done what they believed right….They had only been worried about her.

As the doors to the elevator closed she could see the heads of her friends peeking around the door frame of North's office. When they realized she saw them they drew back quickly. She snorted and shook her head as she travelled down. She could probably have handled that differently.

She furrowed her brow when the elevator doors opened to the stone hallway. Silently she hovered down the hall, her heart fluttering in her chest. What condition would she find him in? When she peered through the tiny barred window of the door on the right and saw it was empty she immediately turned to the one on the left.  
This was it.

…

The general hung his head in the cold silence, half expecting a nightmare or even worse, a fearling to meld from the shadows. Would his mind never be free of the darkness? He signed, leaning back to rest he sore body on the cold stone. He shut his tired eyes but opened them quickly when visions of his past flashed through his head.

Pulling the heavy coat closer he frowned, thinking about how far he had fallen. The once great general in the golden army; taken over by fearlings only to end up shackled in a cell, only a fraction of the man he had been.

The general's mind wandered to the one who had even brought him that far. Had they found her? Was she ok? Eventually a mix of the cold air and exhaustion took hold of him and his eyes fell closed. It was an uneasy sleep but a deep one. Even the creak of the wooden door swinging open didn't wake him.

Tooth's heart jumped when she saw the state of the general. He sat in the corner of the room, leaning against the wall. He appeared to be either unconscious or asleep; she dearly hoped that it was the latter. Both North's oversized coat and the robe were slipping from one of his thin shoulders to showcase the mottling of bruises on the gray skin.

But what drew the fairies eyes the most was the sight of the blood. It was blotched on the silver robe and coating one of the man's hands. It appeared that the wound on his side had reopened…

Once Tooth had snapped out of her daze she rushed to open the cell, inserting the skeleton key and pushing the barred door open. In a flash she was crouching before him. Carefully he took one of the shackled hands and gasped. He was freezing!

With uncertainty she gently laid a hand on his shoulder and was rewarded when the golden eyes opened and focused on her. "Hey…" She said soothingly.

"This is a dream…." The general whispered, closing his eyes and turning his head away. Or fearlings…..they were notorious for showing you a good dream and then snatching it away. All he had to do was wait and surely she would disappear….

Tooth gazed at him sadly. "No…I'm here..." She gently unlocked the shackles and slipped them from his wrists, discarding them on the bench. "See….I'm going to get you out of here."

The General searched her face, unsure if this really _was _reality or just a trick of the mind. With a cold hand he took one of hers, looking down at it as he felt her warmth…This….was real….  
He let out a breath of relief and closed his eyes. "Thank the heavens you're ok…"

The fairy rubbed Pitchiner's shoulder slightly in comfort. "I was ok this entire time….in my room asleep. They' just overreacted…" She frowned, squeezing his hand slightly. "I'm so sorry that they took out their worry on you…"

Kozmotis looked away, letting go of her hand. "It's not like I don't deserve it…."

Tooth was taken aback. He really didn't believe that did he? She reached up and took his head in both hands making him look at her. "You do NOT deserve this…Do not for a SECOND think that. You are NOT that man"

The general let out a small breath in astonishment. She had such faith in him… "But-" He started but was quickly cut off.

"No. I would slap you for even saying that if you weren't so injured already." She released him and clutched her hands together.

A tiny smile graced the general's face. "I'm still missing the tooth from the last time."

Tooth let out a small laugh before taking his hand again. "Let's get you out of here…"

Slowly the general stood, the pain resurfacing from the movement. He pulled the heavy coat back over his shoulders and slipped his arms through the sleeves. It truly was massive on his thin frame but he was too cold to care.

With a small smile the fairy took the generals arm and they both slowly made their way to the elevator.

"What happened to make the wound reopen on your side? Was it your fight with Jack?" The fairy looked up at her companion as they rode the elevator.

"So you know about that…" The general frowned, glancing over to Tooth. Finally he gave a quick nod causing the fairy to sigh.

"Baby Tooth saw it and told me…" The two of them stepped out of the elevator when the doors open. The only guardians to be seen were Jack and North, waiting nervously in the room. Both of them looked at the ground in shame when they saw Tooth and Kozmotis.

Before anyone could speak the general limped forward pulling the coat from his shoulders and handing it to North. He patted the larger man on the arm reassuringly. "Do not feel bad about these events. You were worried for your friend. You don't need to apologize. No harm done."

He took a limping step back and nodded at Jack. "You needn't apologize either. I understand your actions back at the palace." The fairy watched the interactions in silence, wanting to get the man home so she could fix those stitches.

Tooth gently took the general's arm once more and led Kozmotis away. Jack and North only turned to watch speechlessly. Pitchiner's forgiveness seemed to worsen their guilt even more and they shot each other a look.

Before the fairy tossed the snow globe she turned and gave her companions an apologetic smile for her anger earlier. Within moments the portal opened and the two disappeared, leaving North and Jack alone in the room.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **  
So, a little bit of a shorter chapter this time. Hope you enjoyed it regardless. My only regret is Sandy, since he has no dialogue I feel bad for not including him as much as the others. Oh well. .

On a different note I thought I would share my inspiration. A lot of my writing drive and creativity come from the music I listen to while writing. If you interested check out Lisa Gerrard's music, mostly the tracks Vespers, Sacrifice and the end. There is also Some Night's by Fun, and Nothing left to say by imagine dragons.

Also. There is art to go along with this story. This may come as a shock but I am primarily an artist. I generally don't write. If you are interested in THAT, check out my DA - Darkshadowolf or my tumblr Darkshadowolf24. I post different pieces on either or depending. If you're not interested then just keep enjoying the story.

Once again, a HUGE THANK YOU to all my followers and reviewers. I love you all and you are my drive to keep writing. If not for you lot I'd probably already have quit. :3

I'll try and have the next chapter out either tomorrow or the day after. So, until then! Byes~


	5. Chapter 5

As the two stepped from the portal, Pitchiner couldn't help but feel the overwhelming relief to be free and in such a bright place again. _With good company…_He added on to the thought as he shot a glance at the fairy who smiled up at him.

It was hard to believe that this was real and not some dream. The general remembered back to the thoughts that plagued him for the hours he had sat in the cell. He had assumed that that was the universe paying him back for all of the wrongs he had committed as the Nightmare King….That his future was to be contained, alone but for the company of shadows and cold air.

It had been hard to believe that his rescuer had been real. That the soft hand he had held in his was truly there. That her kind words were not just the shadows, whispering deception only to get his hopes up before crushing it. Twice over the fairy queen had been his saviour. How could he repay this debt?

A sharp pang of pain in his side brought him back to reality as Tooth helped him climb the many stairs to the guest tower. He winced a little trying not to show the fairy any weakness. She worried about him too much already, which was something he didn't quite understand. Why she cared was something that he actually couldn't understand. Possibly something he would never understand.

After everything the Nightmare King had done to her. How difficult he had made her life. After all of the years fighting her and the rest of the guardians, why did she suddenly trust him? Have faith in him? At best he was a stranger to her…..

By the time the two had made it half way up the stairs his leg was killing him, the pain almost unbearable. He could feel the beads of sweat forming on his face as he fought back the weakness. Finally he succumbed, clinging to the fairy, gasping "Wait…."

Tooth turned, her face full of worry as she studied his expression. The man was incredibly good at hiding it but the fairy could still see that he was in pain. "Which injury." She asked bluntly wondering if he would even answer the question or still try and stick to his "It's not that bad" act.

Kozmotis squeezed his eyes shut, gritting his teeth, trying to keep his face calm. He took a deep breath before answering. "It…" He hated showing weakness but he honestly didn't think he would make it any further. "It's my leg."

Tooth frowned. He actually answered. It must be even worse than she thought. "You won't make it the rest of the way…." It was less of a question and more of a statement.

The fairy fluttered before the general so she could look him right in the eye, gently laying her hands on his still cold shoulders. "Ok. Here's the deal. I know that you're going to hate this. But right now your health is more important that your dignity so promise not to fight me ok?"

Kozmotis narrowed his eyes, the sweat beading on his brow as he realized what she was getting at. He opened his mouth to argue the point but by then already felt her scooping him into her arms as if he was a child.

She carried him bridal style, the delicate arms wrapped around his body warm, as she half hopped, half flew up the stairs. Embarrassed, Pitchiner draped an arm over his eyes and waited for her to reach the top. He still remembered when she had carried him in the cave…whatever pride he had managed to salvage after that she was taking from him now…but for whatever reason this put a smile on his face. That was one more instance he could add to the list of Toothiana saving his life.

Tooth hopped off the last stair, huffing a breath of relief. The man was cold and felt like he didn't have an ounce of fat on him, just like he had been the first time… Yet… with her small stature, carrying him without the burst of adrenaline she felt in the cave had proven to be a tad more difficult.

Gently she set him down on the bed, feeling like if she was too rough with him he would break. He just seemed so fragile; this man that held the same exact appearance as the Nightmare King. The fairy tried to imagine what he had looked like, uncorrupted by darkness and in good health. It was a difficult image to try and form.

"Thank you…" The general said sheepishly after she had set him down. He would never say it aloud but in truth he would not have made it up those stairs. After the trip down with and his short fight with Jack added on, whatever injury he had sustained seemed to have worsened. A fracture most likely, something he had dealt with many times in his previous life as the general.

The fairies brows shot up when she heard the words. A 'thank you' was the last thing she had expected from the man after she had stolen his remaining shards of dignity. This just reminded her of how different he was from Pitch…and how much he was growing on her. With every moment she spent in his company the more she saw the good man come through. "You're very welcome." She couldn't help the smile that grew on her face. "But you shouldn't be thanking me yet. I still need to take care of those torn stiches….and…." She smoothed the feathers on her arm "Well…I'm not the best nurse and you may be wanting to retract that thank you after I finish."

Kozmotis smiled, shaking his head. "Never. Not after everything you've done for me."

Tooth laughed, speaking softly. "Really….I haven't done much."

The general's golden eyes met hers, his expression suddenly very serious. "Toothiana, do not be so modest. You have done more for me now than anyone has done for me in thousands of years. I have a tally going on in my head for the number of times you've saved my life. Do you remember when you told me not to think for a second that I deserve to be punished? I'll only accept that when you accept the fact that you're basically my savior."

The general's gray face adopted a deep shade of red when he realized what he was saying. His eyes dropped embarrassed. "I…" He decided to clamp his mouth shut before he could say anything more.

Tooth stared at him, violet eyes wide. She smiled shyly and perched on the bed beside him, unsure how to answer such a profession. Gently she took his hand which was resting on the bed. "You're still cold…." Her voice was quiet as she clutched it in both of hers.

"The darkness is cold….I've been this way for a long time…." Kozmotis sighed, looking down at the hands holding his.

"You'll warm up… Now that you're here…." Tooth's face slowly turned red as she let go of his hand suddenly in embarrassment. What was she _saying?_

Silence filled the room as the two sat, side by side awkwardly; finally they both broke out into laughter.

"I'm sorry…it seems that everything I say comes out wrong." Pitchiner's eyes shone with humor as he glanced at the fairy.

"That makes two of us…" Tooth smiled at him before puffing out a breath of determination. "Well! Before one of us says something awkward again I should probably take a look at that injury…."

With a nod the man slid the robe from his shoulders, giving Tooth a clear view of what she was to fix. She grimaced when she saw the damage. About half of her stitches had ripped out, leaving new lacerations to be dealt with. Her hands hovered in front of her as she tried to figure out how to even begin.

"One second…" In a swift movement the fairy darted out of the room, returning quickly with similar supplies to her first treatment of him.

"I assume it doesn't look very good then…" The general shot the fairy a glance from the corner of his eye as she stared at the ugly wound. The look on her face answered his question.

"This is going to hurt…" The fairy gently started to wash the wound, dabbing away the dried blood from the edges. Her proximity to the gash made the man hiss a breath before answering.

"Don't worry, it already does."

The fairy set to work, slowly tweezing out the snapped thread from the jagged skin before threading a needle. The general grit his teeth, his knuckles turning white as he clenched his fists trying not to succumb to the pain. Tooth apologized frantically when a particular tug caused the man to yelp.

After great difficulty she tied the final knot and sucked in a breath of fresh air, realizing that she had been holding it. "I wish there was something else I could do…"  
Kozmotis opened his bloodshot eyes, taking a shaky breath, hands still clenched. "It will heal eventually…" His words wavered and he swallowed. Even now that she was done the pain had not ended.

Tooth bit her lip as she taped a bandage over the wound. "I also wish I could do something about your leg…" Her concern filled eyes met his and he only shook his head.

"It will heal in time as well, as all wounds do." A bead of sweat dripped down his forehead. "I heal faster than humans do, remember?"

Tooth nodded slightly, allowing her brow to unfurrow. She realized that she had been frowning in concentration for such a long time the expression had actually begun to hurt. But what he said was true; it was something she had considered before. He _was_a spirit after all.

The fairy stood suddenly, curious now to see if anything was healing yet. With a slight look of surprise Tooth studied the man's chest. Many of the bruises were fading, some of them gone entirely. She reached out absentmindedly to run her fingers across his protruding collarbone, a location she remembered had been particularly dark with bruises that were now almost healed. It had only been about 24 hours since she had checked his injuries last. At this rate he would be in good health in a week.

Tooth looked up drawing her hand away quickly when she saw the golden eyes gazing at her. "S-Sorry!" the fairy clutched her hands together "I was…just admiring how quickly you heal."

The general sucked in a breath, nodding solemnly, his golden eyes falling to stare at the ground. "Darkness has always had a quick rebound."

The fairies eyes became sad. "That's not what you are anymore."

The general didn't look up….wondering if he should tell her. It would be stupid of him to betray her trust now. "Toothiana…I… I am incredibly weak right now….and…it's the reason I can't do it but..." He chanced a look up at the fairy who was watching him, confused. "I still have his power. You restored my memories but….I will never be free from the shadows."

With a flick of his hand a shadow flitted across the wall beside them causing Tooth's eyes to widen. "So…you're…" She swallowed, unsure of how to take the news. "You're still the nightmare king."

"No." Kozmotis said firmly, reaching out to take her hand; to reassure her. "That man was created by fearlings. He's dead. I promise."

Tooth bit her lip, staring into the golden eyes of the man before her. She supposed she knew. How could she NOT have? Perhaps she just hadn't connected the massive black scythe with any of Pitch's power….but it WAS a weapon of shadows. _One he had used it to protect her_.  
The fairy allowed a small smile to light up her face. "Then….maybe you can do something that Pitch was unable to do…."

The general studied her, relieved that the revelation didn't scare her away. "What's that…."

"Join us…?" Tooth asked sheepishly. She remembered a time shortly after they had first met the nightmare king. North had asked him to join the guardians. To use his power not for his own dark deeds, but instead use it for good. The offer had been violently rejected.

The general smiled sadly "Tooth…I…" He shook his head. "I appreciate the thought but….the guardians wouldn't accept me. As soon as they realize that these powers are still alive how would they act? I…" He sighed. "I suppose I just can't see it working."

The fairy laid her hands on his shoulders in excitement. "I'll talk to them! They'll see reason! They aren't as bad as you think!"

"But that's not the problem." Kozmotis furrowed his brow, taking the chance to grab her shoulders. "I don't think them bad at all, quite the opposite actually. The guardians are good, they're powers are made from happiness and light and hope; _your powers._ But mine?" He let his hands slip down her soft feathery arms to his lap. "Mine are born from the darkness; from the shadows. _Created from evil_."

Tooth's face fell. "There is more to you than just darkness Kozmotis…" Her voice pleaded with him, violet eyes sad. "You think so lowly of yourself….I believe you can overcome that darkness, use it for good…."

"And you think so highly of me…I fear that I would disappoint you…"

"You haven't disappointed me yet." She shot him a small smile. "Would you at least let me talk to them?"

With a sigh Pitchiner let his eyes meet hers. "Very well. If they agree then so do I."

Tooth's face lit up with a smile and without thinking leaned in to hug him. The general's eyes widened with shock, his hands held out, frozen. Finally he wrapped his arms around her small frame and let himself enjoy the warm embrace. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt so wanted. The last time someone had pulled him into a hug. The last time anyone had touched him with kindness.

His chest constricted suddenly as the crushing loneliness of his thousands of years in solitude fell onto him all at once. He tightened his grip, burying his face in the feathers of her shoulder. In his moment of weakness he didn't care what she thought of him; didn't care that the walls he was forced to build to protect himself as general crumbled; didn't care when he felt the tears wet his eyes. "….just…stay like this…. a little longer…" His words were barely audible.

The fairy pulled the man closer when she heard the whisper. At first she had been shocked at his compliance to her affection but as her mind raced she began to understand. She remembered Jack having a similar reaction, the difference being that Jack's lonely existence had been much shorter. How long had Kozmotis been alone, hated, without any kind touch from another person. She rubbed the bare skin of his back where her hands rested; suddenly feeling the thin shoulders start to quiver.

Tooth could almost feel the emotions emanating from the man in her arms; sorrow partially, but most of all the relief. She almost felt tears come to her eyes as she laid her head on his shoulder. "It's ok…." She whispered soothingly to him. "It's ok now…"

They stayed like that for a while until Kozmotis finally pulled away, trying to compose himself enough to look at the fairy. "I…" He said quietly ready to explain.

"It's ok…" Tooth said softly, smiling, hands still resting on his shoulders. "I understand."  
She finally dropped her arms, still smiling at him reassuringly. "Just….try and get some rest ok? I promise I'll be here when you wake up."

The general nodded, relieved that he didn't have to explain himself and lowered his body onto the bed. As soon as his head hit the pillow he realized how exhausted he really was. He closed his eyes and remarkably was not met with the shadowy images he was usually plagued with.  
When the general felt the familiar weight of the fairy settling herself on the corner of the bed did he finally relax his mind, letting the walls drop. For the first time since he had regained his memories was he able to sleep without nightmares or fear.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

Ok, so I found parts of this chapter very emotional to write _myself._I hope you all get hit with feels too! :3

This was actually the second version of this chapter I wrote but I restarted it today because I wanted to get into character interactions and emotion a bit more. Plus I was drunk when I wrote it the first time LOLOLOL But seriously. -_-;

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I didn't think I'd get it done on time but I did it in the amount of time I thought I would. A little but of info on that. I am a nocturnal creature. I sleep until 3pm and stay up until 4 in the morning. SO when I release chapters I usually do it in the middle of the night. For instance! I am typing this right now at 2:32am. So when I say Saturday it's still Saturday for me...but Sunday for you. So I apologize if I disappoint by not getting a chapter out when I say I will. . hehe

Anyway, I would like to dedicate this chapter in particular to ~Diamondstream on Deviantart for actually taking the time and effort and liking the story enough to draw me fanart. T~T It makes me so happy. :3

Anyway, Tomorrows a very busy day so I probably won't get around to writing and releasing chapter 6 until Monday or Tuesday. Until then! Luv you all!


	6. Chapter 6

The general awoke finally, feeling for the first time in ages, completely refreshed. Slowly he opened his eyes sitting up a little in the bed. The room was dark now, moonlight shining through the window. His attention was suddenly drawn to the form curled up at the end of the bed, much like a cat. When she had said that she would be there when he woke up he hadn't _actually _expected it.

The golden eyes studied the sleeping fairy. Every so often her wings or tail twitched, the soft feathers shining in the light. She looked so delicate this way. _Beautiful…_He shook his head, banishing the thought. She was a guardian, a being of light. And him? He was a creature created from evil. He had no right even considering her in that way. And there was certainly no way she could ever consider him….

Mad at himself he slipped from the bed, careful not to wake her, and stepped over to the mirror. He frowned at his reflection. For thousands of years the only reflection he ever saw was this one. The _Nightmare King_, yet….Now that he had his memories back….every time he saw the man in the mirror it shocked him. How Tooth could get the guardians to take him seriously, to ever trust him, with his appearance alone was beyond him. Not to mention the things he had done.

A twinge of pain in his leg made him shift his weight and brought his attention to his injuries. He studied his bandaged chest, golden eyes having no problem seeing in the soft light. He spun in the mirror to view his own back. The bruises were dissipating even more now, leaving only the fading dark spots across his back that HAD been the worst of them at one time.

The smaller wounds that Tooth had stitched previously were starting to heal, the edges of the gashes not so red and raw. He only hoped that his leg would heal so quickly. From the last couple days he was able to establish that that was not the only break he had sustained. He was sure that he had at LEAST a couple hairline fractures on ribs; possibly another in his left wrist. He had dealt with the pain of these easily, although they also however, did not severely impede his movement so they were never a problem.

Gently he ran his hand along his shin, grimacing at the touch. With a sigh he turned away from the hated man in the mirror, limping quietly to the window to stare up at the moon. His eyes searched the silent guardians face as if the moon would speak to him….but he never spoke to him. It had been a very long time since the man in the moon would even give him the time of day. Instead he stared down, watching critically.

The general leaned on the sill and closed his eyes, breathing the night air. The palace was silent, only the tiny sounds of the chirping fairies still hard at work broke through.

A sudden touch on his shoulder startled him, causing him to jump. With a grimace he brought his hand to the wound on his side as he turned. Tooth hovered before him, a sheepish yet concerned look on her face. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!"

The general smiled despite the throb in his side. "….scare _me_…?" He raised a brow at her sarcastically.

The fairy smiled slightly. "Don't underestimate me."

"That is something that I most definitely will not do." It was something his former self had done. For some reason the Nightmare King didn't take the fairy queen very seriously at all….one of his many mistakes….

Tooth grinned before landing beside him and lean on the sill. "You know you've been out longer than you may think….." Tooth let her eyes wander over the palace absentmindedly. "It's been an entire day….I went back to work for a while, I also talked to North quickly, he's organizing a meeting so we can talk."

Kozmotis raised he's brows, eyes wide in shock. _What? _"An…entire day? That can't be right.…" He couldn't remember the last time he had slept so well, that also included before he was even possessed by fearlings. Another thought occurred to him. "But you were…." He trailed off.

The fairies face turned a pink. "I said that I would be there when you woke up….I was worried about that the entire time I was gone."

The general frowned. He was still having difficulty wrapping his head around the fact that someone cared enough to worry about him. For her to even care at all… "Why?" He said the word quietly, glancing over to look at the fairy.

"Why….?" Her expression held confusion as her violet eyes met his.

"It's just…" Pitchiner turned away from the window limping into the room, arms crossed. "I still don't understand why you seem to care so much about me." He could almost feel her gaze on his back as he continued. "I was your enemy…I hurt you…How can you forgive that so quickly. Have you forgotten the heartache I put you through? After I attacked the guardians… you're still so kind…"

The fairy's eyes were sad as she softly stepped across the tile. Never before had she met someone who hated himself more than Kozmotis seemed to. Gently she took his arm and spun him so he would face her. "When I look at you I see a good man, someone who deserves kindness and someone who's been lacking it for a long time."

Tooth jumped into a hover so she could look the man in the eyes. "Whatever you did as the Nightmare King….you _weren't exactly you_. I don't know who you were in your past but….I can recognize a good heart and an honorable man when I see one."

The general stared into the fairies eyes, chewing his lip softly and considered telling her his past. With a sigh her turned and sat down on the bed. "I was a general…"

"You….what?" The fairy frowned, staring at him.

"Before I was corrupted…I was a general in the golden army." He looked down at his hands. That was a very long time ago…

Tooth only continued staring. He had been a _general_? She thought about the way he acted. This explained the honorable and stoic side she saw of him.

"It was after the war had been fought and won. I was assigned the duty of guarding captive fearlings…" he swallowed remembering how the task drained him, how weary he had become listening to their sinister whispers every day. "You have to understand that fearlings….they're….smart. They get into your head…learn your greatest fear and then turn it against you."

Tooth silently set herself down on the bed, eyes still trained on him. The more she learned about the man the more her heart broke for him.

"It took a while for them to break me down….but, eventually they got to me. Their voices were hypnotic and they…." He stopped. He could still here the voice. He felt his chest clench, his heart aching. She was long gone now…forever had he missed his chance to see her again. "They…made me believe that…I could hear my daughters voice…calling me from inside the prison…." He voice broke at the last words as he ran both hands over his face. The last thing he wanted to do was cry in front of the guardian again.

At the man's last sentence Tooth felt her heart shatter. The entire time the guardians had fought the Nightmare king he had had a daughter….She furrowed her brow and stared at the ground. "You were a father….?"

"Yes…." He whispered the words. "I had a locket with her picture in it…seeing it every day kept me going. It was the reason I fought in the war to begin with. To protect her….and in the end…..my love for her was my downfall." He stared at his hands, eyes unblinking fearing that if he did the tears might fall.

The fairy stared down at her lap, mind whirring. He had lived his life to protect his daughter, fought for her, cared for her, and then was brought down because of it. He was punished for being a good man, and there was nothing she could do to stop that hurt. Full of sorrow and feeling suddenly powerless Tooth clenched her hands in her lap, biting her lip.

She looked up at him when one of his pale gray hands took hers. Their eyes met. "It was a long time ago." His voice was quiet. "There is nothing that can be done now. You need not burden yourself by feeling sadness for me. It's just…." He took a deep breath banishing the tightness in his chest. "You said you didn't know me….I just thought I would change that …."

The fairy furrowed her brow looking up at him sadly. "I can't help it. I would never have thought….." She shook her head, squeezing his hand. "I…just…I've never heard a story so sad…I wish there was something I could do. But a hurt like that is something that can never be fixed."  
He nodded, looking down, mouth pulled into a frown. "Like I said…it was a long time ago and something that I just have to live with; like I had to live with the loss of my wife when she died. Loss is…..something that I am familiar with."

The fairy let out a little gasp at those words. A story like his was something she only thought existed in books and old tales. _Real life could never be that sad. _She leaned to the side until her head was resting on his shoulder. "I'm sorry…." She whispered. They were the only words she could think to say. Really there was nothing that _could _be said other than that.

Silently the general wrapped his arm around her small shoulders, being careful of her folded wings. He rubbed her arm in an attempt to comfort her. "I didn't mean to upset you…..."

The fairy leaned into him, looking down. She was at a loss for words. What was she to say after something like this?

The two sat in silence for a while; Kozmotis with his arm around Tooth's shoulder and the fairy leaning into him. Finally the general pulled away, smiling at her. "I'll be okay. And…I fear that I've been keeping you from your duties."

The fairy sat up, looking away sheepishly. That was true. "I don't want to leave you alone. You're hurt…"

"I'll be fine. Nothing can happen to me here. And I doubt that one of the guardians will be back to kidnap me." He nodded reassuringly as she looked at him.

"I'll be back in the morning to check on you…and don't go anywhere!" Tooth stood, stepping over to the window. Her fairies were good at their jobs but SHE was the Tooth Fairy. They could only last so long without her assistance.

He gave her a slight bow. "I give you my word that I will not leave this room."

At his words she hopped out the window, leaving the general to his thoughts. There was a lot of work to be done that would hopefully occupy her mind….take her thoughts away from what the general had told her. When he had say that he had lost the memories of his family she assumed that he'd meant his mother and father, perhaps siblings. Never would she have thought that he had been married….that he had a daughter.  
A child was usually the only thing more important to a parent than their life. It had been Pitchiner's reason for living….and he had outlived her without even knowing it.

Tooth shook her head when she reached the center square of the palace. It was time for her to focus on work.

…..

Kozmotis sat on the side of the bed, head in his hands. He had spent the last couple of days trying not to think on his life before the shadows. But now that he had it wouldn't leave his mind.  
He reached up to his chest, wanting desperately to hold the locket, to see his little girls face. But that locket had been lost a long time ago, ripped from his possession as the fearlings overwhelmed him.

He hoped that she had led a good life…a full life, one that he had fought to give her; that she had never had to feel the kind of sadness that he had. Hopefully she had found someone she loved and was happy. Most of all he hoped that she had not known what had happened to him…he didn't remember ever meeting her again as the Nightmare King….but then again; a lot of those memories were as twisted as he had been by darkness.

With a sigh he curled up on the bed, closing his eyes. Thankfully, there were no nightmares that plagued his mind with evil visions. This time, the only thing he saw on the back of his eye lids was his little girl smiling at him. He could hear her voice calling to him; her laughter as he spun her in his arms.

Kozmotis fell asleep with a smile, tears running down his face.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Merry Christmas and or happy holidays to you all! I know I said I wouldn't get a chance to write chapter 6 until after Christmas but I thought that I would release it as my version of a gift to you all for being so great. :3

It IS quite a bit shorter than the chapter previous but I felt that where I left off was appropriate. That conversation had to happen and the events scheduled next would have made this chapter to long for my liking.

I hoped you enjoyed it anyway and a HUGE thank you for all of my reviewers. Your feedback is what motivates me to keep writing. After I post I just kinda sit here for 3 hours clicking refresh. XD ^^

Well! Until next time! :3


	7. Chapter 7

Pitchiner narrowed his eyes, concentrating on the sketch he was working on. His artistic abilities were seriously rusty….but even before his stint as the Nightmare King he had only been good enough to impress a little girl. With a sigh he dropped both the book and his hands into his lap and reclined on his bed, closing his eyes.

He had awoken to the soothing golden light of a noon day sun streaming through the window. Finding himself unable to fall back asleep, he instead rummaged around the room looking for something to do. In all honesty, what he had actually wanted to do was traverse the stairs and watch the fairy at work, but he knew if she found him in the square she would throttle him for leaving the tower. He was still injured after all. So instead, the general settled with the pencil and leather bound sketching book he had found in the bedside table.

Kozmotis opened his eyes again, lifting the paper and gazing at it sadly. It wasn't _exactly_what it had looked like in the past, but it was close enough.

A tiny sound caused him to glace over to the bedside table. He jumped slightly, not expecting to see the tiny fairy standing there. She was tapping a foot, crossed arms, gazing at him.

"My apologies…you startled me…" He trailed off, realizing exactly which fairy he was talking to. It wasn't hard to recognize the tiny birth marks under her right eye. Baby Tooth only raised an eyebrow.

In one swift movement he swung himself off the bed and knelt painfully before her. "It's obvious that you don't trust me, and I don't blame you; but regardless, you have my sincerest apologies for what happened in the past, my dear." He bowed his head and shut his eyes before looking up at her. "I pray that I did not hurt you…."

Baby Tooth looked taken aback, hands held in front of her until finally she chirped and shook her head.

"Thank the heavens…" With a grimace he straightened and sat back down on the bed. Experimentally, he ran his hands along his leg; it didn't hurt anymore without actually aggravating it. In fact, the ribs he thought he had broken seemed to have stopped being painful all together.

The tiny fairy flitted from the night stand to the bed, landing on the sketch book and cocking her head to the side in curiosity. She looked up at him, chirping.

"Ah yes," Slowly he picked up the book, giving her enough time to take flight, and examined the page. "I fear that I am not very good. I've lost my touch." He smiled at Baby Tooth who was fluttering beside him staring at the page.

She looked up at him questioningly, flitting over to point at one of the drawings and chirped. He nodded at her. "I looked a lot nobler back then than I do now, I must admit." The tiny fairy nodded at this, causing the general to laugh.

"What are you guys up to in here?"

Both the general and fairy looked up to see Toothiana alight on the windowsill and hop into the room. Pitchiner slowly closed the book, resting it in his lap. "I hope you don't mind…" he looked down at it. "I took the initiative to amuse myself."

Tooth smiled. "Of course! I didn't even remember that that existed." The fairy queen's eyes moved to Baby Tooth. "I told you he was a good guy now." The tiny fairy shot the general an apologetic look and darted out the window.

"She has been yammering at me all day about how she didn't trust you. You changed THAT fast." The fairy sat down beside Kozmotis and held a hand out, motioning to the book. "May I see?"

Embarrassed, the general handed the fairy the book, looking down at his hands when she opened it.

Tooth sucked in a tiny breath when she saw the drawings. It was easy to assume that these were sketches of the general's past uniform. The elegant lines on the page depicted both an intricate military uniform as well as an impressive suit of armor.

Eyes wide Tooth flipped the pages which contained more close up looks at the attire. "These…..were yours….?" She spoke softly, trying to imagine the man sitting beside her adorned in one of these outfits.

"They were indeed." The general watched her flip the pages. "Like I told your little one, I looked a lot more honorable back then than I do now."

"These are amazing…I would never have thought you an artist…." She glanced up from the page to Kozmotis.  
Their eyes met and he quickly looked down. "I'm no artist…And even if I had been, the majority of my talent was lost to the Nightmare King. I'm very out of practice."

The fairy shook her head in disbelief and spoke softly. "You really do think so little of yourself…"

Neither said anything for a couple of minutes as Tooth flipped the pages in awe. Finally the general spoke, breaking the silence. "I was wondering….." he tailed off as the fairy looked up at him. "Well….I wore that uniform for such a long time that….I don't think that I would be comfortable in anything else….…I'm not sure how to ask this…."

Tooth furrowed her brow. "mmhmm?"

"Well, I would assume that North has the capability to make something like that in his workshop…"

"So you want me to ask him…Of course!" The fairy jumped up. It was hard not to be excited. If North agreed, which she assumed he would, she would get to actually see The General in his golden age attire. "I'll go now!" As she reached the window she turned to him again. "I should have asked before….how are your injuries doing…?"

"Mostly healed actually, the worst is still my leg."

"Alright, I'll be back soon enough." She then fluttered out the window leaving the general to his thoughts once more. Their scheduled meet with the guardians was for tomorrow, she had wanted to wait until he was well enough. It looked like he would be.

….

"Toothy! What brings you to North Pole!?" North's cheerful face greeted her when she fluttered into his office. "I thought I wouldn't be seeing you until tomorrow!"

The fairy smiled at the man. He had obviously gotten over the guilt that had plagued him. The other day when she had come to talk about Kozmotis and the guardians he was still moping. It was good to have him back to normal. "Well, it's actually a request from Kozmotis…" Hovering forward she handed him the leather-bound book.

The Russians eyes widened in awe when he saw what the pages contained. "These look like illustrations from history books…" he looked up at her. "Where did you get this?"

"Kozmotis drew them…" She hovered beside the man so she could look down at the drawings. "They were his uniforms from back then and he….wanted to know if you could recreate them."

North's eyes twinkled as he snapped the book shut with one hand. Nonchalantly he tossed it to a passing elf who then scrambled out of the room. "Give yetis a couple hours. They will be _just _as grand as they were in the past."

…  
The two guardians passed the time chatting in North's office, and soft knock on the door caused them both to turn. A young woman stood in the entrance. She wore a long and flowing dress, dark green at the bottom that faded into white at the top. Her long, dark brown hair was wavy and reached almost past her waist. Tiny white butterfly's fluttered in the air around her. "I'm sorry for intruding but…I have to talk to you, North…and you must be Toothiana…."

The Russian furrowed his brow, about to speak when recognition fell over him. "Mother Nature!? What brings _you _to North Pole, eh?" He stepped over to her, arms spread wide. "I barely recognized you! It's been such long time!"

"Indeed it has." The woman stepped forward; her bare feet could be seen from under her dress.

Tooth surveyed the scene with a smile. Of course she had heard of Mother Nature before, but this was the first time she had the pleasure of meeting her. Although….there was something familiar about that slightly accented voice she couldn't put her finger on.

Hovering over she held out her hand. "It's very nice to meet you." The woman took it daintily, giving it a gentle shake before stepping gracefully into the office.

"Although it is an honor to see you again, North, and to meet you Toothiana, I fear I'm here on business." Her delicate features suddenly became solemn as she looked at them both.

"Business? What would that be?" North crossed his arms, concerned.

"Fear." Mother Nature bit her lip, voice containing sadness. "For a couple days now the world is unbalanced. There hasn't been enough fear, but in turn and oddly enough, it has become darker." She frowned when the guardians exchanged a look. "You know what's causing this…"

"It's Pitch." North sat down as Mother Nature nodded solemnly.

"I thought it might be…." Her words were quiet. "What happened…?"

Tooth spoke up first, hovering closer to the young woman. "He's regained his memory. He's no longer the Nightmare King."

With wide, bright green eyes the young woman stared at Tooth, her mouth slightly open in shock. "W-what?" With a tiny breath she rushed forward, taking the fairy by the shoulders. "You must take me to him."

Startled by Mother Nature's sudden reaction, she nodded, wide eyes. The young woman's expression was haunted. What was going on here? "O-okay, he's at my palace…" She glanced at North who only shrugged. "I was just waiting for-" She was cut off when a yeti hustled into the room, shoving a heavy sack into her hands.

"Ah! Like I said, it only took them couple hours." He beamed as he patted Tooth on the shoulder.

"Well, I have what I came for…" She adjusted her hold on the bag. This must be one of North's special ones….The ones he used for gifts. Whatever was placed in the bag seemed smaller on that outside than it actually was on the inside. "Thank you again, North."

"Not a problem." His words were barely heard as the dark haired woman led her out by her hand. Her eyes full of hope.

"Did you know him?" The fairy asked as she threw the snow globe and the portal appeared.

"I do. From a long time ago…" It was a short answer but laced with sadness. Tooth was going to push for an explanation but the woman stepped through the portal. Gripping the modestly heavy bag she followed. Who was the Kozmotis to her? Did she know the general, or the Nightmare king?

As she appeared in the main square she was met by the impatient form of Mother Nature. _She's acting almost like a child…. _Tooth fluttered towards the guest tower, the young woman right on her heels.

…..

Koztomis has just closed his eyes when he heard the footsteps on the stairs. Frowning, he slid off the bed to sit on the side. Tooth wouldn't be climbing the stairs, unless she had someone with her…. He stood, golden eyes fixed on the doorway. He was surprised when he saw Tooth emerge. Then who was…

The general's mouth fell open when he saw the young woman step from behind the fairy. This woman was the spitting image of his daughter. She was much older, but he would recognize that face anywhere. But….then there was the fact that it actually being her was impossible.

The young woman's green eyes took in his appearance as she slowly took a step closer to him. She spoke then, her voice both very quiet and cautious. "Daddy?"

Pitchner's breath caught in his throat, his heart all but stopping. Slowly he took a step forward; hand's reaching out as if in a trance. "Katarina…" When his legs gave out he didn't even feel his knees hit the ground, or the pain from his leg.

The young woman stepped forward, green eyes wide. "Is it really…"

Tears started streaming down the generals face when she stepped close enough to touch her hand. Even though a smile spread across his face a sob still escaped. Neither knew if he pulled her down or if she collapsed but suddenly the two were both kneeling, embracing as if it were the end of the world. The general buried his face in her shoulder, his tears wetting her dress.

Mother Nature wrapped her arms tightly around her father's lithe body like she had as a child. When she had stepped into the room she didn't know what to expect. It was odd seeing him now, like she had in the previous hundreds of years he was the Nightmare King and not her father. Expect he_ remembers_…..

The two sat like that for a while, Tooth hovering, and quite thoroughly shocked, in the corner. It was Kozmotis to break the silence first. "You've grown up so much…How is this possible…If you're a spirit…."

Mother Nature pulled away slightly, gripping the man's shoulders. "Shhh, Daddy…I lived a good life. This was my choice and I never have and never will regret it." She leaned her forehead on his, shutting her eyes. "Except….It was so hard…knowing that you were out there….Seeing you and having you not remember me…"  
A sob escaped the general as he pulled his daughter close once again. "I'm so sorry, I failed you…I'm so sorry…" He repeated the whispered words over and over as he held her, rocking her like a child and stroking her hair. "I'm here now…I _remember_…my beautiful girl…."

Eventually the general pulled away, stood, and pulled Katarina to her feet as well. Eyes still glassy with tears he set himself down on the bed, inviting her to join him with a smile. "Sit with me Kitty…"

"Daddy…" She grinned at him. Oh HEAVENS did she hate that pet name when she was a kid, but never again….Not when it was her father speaking it.  
She gracefully set herself down, looking up at him. "I'm so glad your back…"

"As am I…." He picked up her hand, his gray skin dark against her porcelain white. "I've missed a lot…Now….Tell me about your life…"

**AUTHORS NOTE:**

So I have no idea what his daughters real name is or even if she has one. I DID do my research on the matter and found nothing so...I named her.

Anyway, my apologies for the delay with this chapter. I started it, scrapped it. Started it again, scrapped it again. Guess the third times the charm. I honestly wasn't sure WHAT to do with this chapter and even now I don't like it a whole lot...

I also got super distracted making an animation of the general. hehe...yeah...

So like always, I'll try to get the next chapter finished in the next three days or so. But they're crazy busy so I'm not sure how much I'll actually get done.

And as always, THANK YOU SO MUCH TO MY REVIEWERS. Each and every one of your comments brings a smile to my face and makes me want to continue. :3

One last thing - to 'pixie fang' about her question: "how would Baby Tooth would react" I hope that was adequate enough for you! I liked the idea so I added it :3

Laterz!


	8. Chapter 8

Halfway through the general's reunion with his daughter, Tooth slipped out unseen. That moment was incredibly personal and not one for her to share in, so…..she went back to work. The sun was now setting as she hovered in the main square, examining teeth and giving orders.

Movement caught her eye and she looked down to see Mother Nature give her a small wave. As she swooped down the young woman smiled. "I have to be leaving now." The girl then pulled the fairy into an unexpected hug. "Thank you….thank you for bringing him back to me, and for helping him…"

Tooth pulled away, unsure of what to say. She blushed a little, smoothing the feathers on her arm down. "S-So…You can't stay?" She changed the subject.

Katarina nodded, "As much as I desperately want to stay with him I have a job to do. Inadvertently by giving him back his memories you've changed the dynamics of the planet." The woman sighed deeply. "There are a lot of things to be sorted out."

The fairy nodded. Mother Nature's job was an important one. And even though the guardians didn't like to admit it; her job was almost more important than theirs. They protected the children, she protected and cared for the planet.

"I'm guessing that I'll see you again soon?" Tooth studied the woman's face. The more she stared, the more of Kozmotis she could see in her.

"As soon as I am able." Katarina took a step to leave but then stopped, turning to the fairy, a sly smile creeping up her face. "He likes you, you know."

Taken aback the fairy furrowed her brow. "What?"

"He talked about you a lot. As I child I never saw him as taken with anyone as he is with you." She grinned, raising a brow before curtsying slightly. "I'll be back soon."

Before the fairy could compute what Mother Nature was saying, the wind picked up. The girl's hair and dress caught the breeze, blowing majestically and in a flash of lighting she was gone. Tooth felt the electricity linger in the air as she stared at the spot where her guest had stood. Moss covered the ground and tiny white butterfly's fluttered about. Even as sweet as she was, Mother Nature was not someone to be trifled with. She held the power of the planet, and the planet was as beautiful as it was dangerous. Just like the generals daughter.

With a sigh Tooth fluttered up to the general's window, still considering what she had told her. Kozmotis…fancied her? There was no way that the noble and valiant general from the golden age actually liked her…was there? She just assumed that he saw her as juvenile considering his age….and her childlike joy at the world.

The fairy knocked slightly on the window frame before stepping into the room. Kozmotis looked up at her, a genuine smile on his face. Tiny and barely visible laugh lines could be seen at the corners of his eyes. Once upon a time he had been a happy man…

"I can finally rest easy now…" The relief was clear in his voice as he spoke to her. "Know that I know she has been safe and well."

"I can imagine…" The fairy softly padded over to where he sat "She really is beautiful…"

"She is…." He trailed off, looking up at her. "It's like….this is a dream. Things like this….they just don't happen."

"Kozmotis….sometimes they do…" She stepped over to him, taking his hands. "And if anyone deserves this, it's you. After so much pain and horrid luck…you deserve a bit of fortune."

"I feel that it might be too good to be true." He shook his head, the smile fading.

"Don't you think that." Tooth placed grabbed him by the shoulders, looking him dead in the eye. "Good things happen to good people. It's your turn now."

The general only looked up at her, eyes unsure.

"Alright?" She pressed, not breaking eye contact.

"Alright…" He answered with a sigh, smiling. "I suppose it's just hard to believe."

The fairy finally released him, hovering away, Mother Nature's words suddenly ringing her eyes. Blushing slightly she turned, eyes landing on the bag she had set in the corner. "I almost forgot!" Picking it up, she lugged it to the bed. Pitchiner frowned down at it, giving her a questioning look which was met with nod.

The generals breath caught in his throat as he pulled the drawstring and looked in. He shot a shocked glance up at the fairy before reaching inside. Slowly, he pulled out a golden chest plate, handling it as if it were made of glass. Standing up, he repeated this process until he had a full armor set laid out on the bed.

Finally he pulled out the military uniform, his brows drawn together in wonder and sadness. "I had completely forgotten why you had gone to see North in the first place…." Pitchiner's voice was quiet, his eyes not moving from the adorned uniform in his hands as if he were in a trance.

Tooth raised her brows, staring in awe at the armor laid out on the bed. Never before had she seen something so grand. If it had looked good in the drawings, it looked exceptional in real life. He had actually _worn _this in the past? The elegantly curved, golden armor looked to be more art than actually functional in blocking an attack.

"Amazing…." She whispered, hovering closer to get a better look.

"I feel as is that's my line…." Still the general did not look up at her. "North has done an exceptional job…"

"I was talking about the idea of it…" The fairy stared down at the general. "That you actually wore this."

"Yes…" Kozmotis finally raised his eyes to her. "One had to look impressive when commanding an army." He let out a short laugh before setting the uniform jacket down. Now that the excitement of seeing Katarina again and the return of his armor the exhaustion was taking over.

When Tooth saw the general supress a yawn she patted him on the shoulder. "If you're tired, rest. I look forward to seeing you in that tomorrow when we talk to the guardians." She smiled at him as he reluctantly nodded.

Perhaps it was time to rest….but first. He turned to the fairy, their eyes meeting. "I'd like to thank you again….You have single-handedly restored me to the man that I once was. I don't want to sound redundant but….I doubt that it would be possible to ever repay you."

Tooth bit her lip, feeling her face flush as once again, Katarina's words echoed in her head _'he's taken with you'_. She turned quickly fluttering to the window in embarrassment at her own thoughts.

"It's really no problem." She glanced back at him with a smile. "Now get some rest, tomorrow is an important day."

And with that she was gone. Kozmotis stared blankly at the window when she darted out, unsure how to take her reaction. Something was bothering her….Was it something he had said? Even after the events of the day, his thoughts lingered on her as he moved the armor from the bed to the table beside the door.

Even though he knew it foolish, he couldn't help but care more and more for her as the days passed. Obviously she didn't return the feelings. With a deep sigh he laid back on the bed. This shouldn't upset him when he had so much to be thankful for. Kitty being alive and well, his memory restored, his body almost healed.

As he closed his eyes he pushed his affection for the guardian out of his mind, letting the other good thoughts of the day take over. Maybe Tooth had been right, finally his fortune was changing. Maybe he would finally be able to live in peace.

Tooth awoke with a start. It had taken her quite a while to get to sleep, her thoughts constantly drifting to the man in the guest tower. Irritably and still half asleep the fairy rolled out of bed, glancing around the room trying to figure out what had awoken her.  
It didn't take her long to realize something was off. Despite the distantly rising sun, the colorful walls seemed drab, the room too dark.

Her heart fluttered in fear when upon a closer inspection saw the shadows move. Her eyes darted around the room nervously before finally being drawn to the far wall. Never had she thought that she would actually have to unsheathe those blades again, but the situation seemed rather dire.

Cautiously she stepped towards her displayed weapons, keeping a steadfast watch on any movements. When she was close enough she whipped them off the wall, brandishing them before her. The twin broadswords were just as lethal as they had been in the past; particularly so when in her hands.

With a quick movement Toothiana darted toward the window but was halted when a black wall rose before her, completely blocking out the sunrise. The fairy looked up as the inky mass formed into a creature much like what had chased her in the cavern. As it rushed her she raised her blades, slashing upwards across what she assumed was the creature's chest. Unfortunately, and to the guardian's dismay, the darkness knit back together; two fiery red eyes burning down at her.

With a valiant cry the fairy queen launched herself at the evil creature, blades raised.

The fearling laughed as the darkness quickly swallowed her body.

The general awoke, a sudden feeling of dread washing over him that he quickly squashed. This feeling was all too familiar to him, and in itself, that terrified him. This was the feeling that fearlings gave off. _They were in the palace._

Quickly he launched himself out of the bed, glancing around the room, the pain in his leg caused him to grimace. As he looked around his trained eyes couldn't see anything evil in this room, but where ever it was, it was close.  
In a moments decision his eyes fell on the armor. If he was going to take up arms as he did in his past life, he might as well look the part.

With practiced hands the general pulled on the uniform as if he had done so the day before. If he were able to enjoy it he would have been surprised that it fit his slim frame so well, however he hadn't the time. Quickly he did up the final buttons on the jacket before starting to strap on the armor, the golden plates shining like the sun itself in the rising run; the weight from the deep red cape hanging from his shoulders feeling natural.

As he did up the final buckle his eyes caught the first movements on the wall across from him. He lowered his stance, expression grim.

"Kozmotis…." He narrowed his eyes when he heard the whisper, eerie yet sinister, coming from the very air.

The general's heart pounded as he stepped forward into the middle of the room, his steel plated boots clacking on the tile floor. "What….do you want." He turned in a circle, hands ready to materialize his scythe.

"Kozmotis…." The whisper was not just one voice, but many, surrounding him.

"You are mistaken if you think I fear you. No longer am I the weary man you caught off guard at the prison gates." He clenched his jaw. This was true in one way or another. He _didn't _fear them, but he feared what they might do if they found someone he cared for. "Give me your best."

"_Oh, we plan too_." The general's eyes widened at the familiar voice coming from behind him. _It was his own._

As he turned he sucked in a breath. Even though he had trained himself over the expanse of the war it was difficult not to feel intimidated by the sight. The entire wall behind him was black. An inky black, as if he were looking into an abyss. The most shocking sight, however, was the man standing before him.

Somewhere in his mind he registered that this was just another fearling toying with him, yet….the likeness was so uncanny it unnerved him. The Nightmare King smiled at him charmingly, the visage was perfect right down to his missing left tooth. "I know what you fear, _general._" He dark robed man took a step forward, arms out to his sides. "_Yourself._"

Kozmotis only raised his chin, setting his jaw. This is what fearlings did, and he _refused_to rise to the bait.

"Oh, come now _general…_ People's greatest fears are something I _always_ know. I can _feel _them." Pitch Black stepped towards Kozmotis, grinning darkly, "Like I can feel _yours._"

The general's eye twitched at this but he still he stood completely still. Even if he attacked he would be giving them what they wanted; showing them a weak point in his resolve.

"_You fear becoming me_." The doppelganger took yet another step forward until they were eye to eye. "_You fear_…." The Nightmare King stopped to think for a moment, mockingly, until a sly smile slid onto his face. "You fear…losing _her; _the guardian, Toothiana."

At this Kozmotis materialized his scythe, the swing already in motion before the weapon was even completely there. Laughing, the doppelganger exploded into shadows, drawing back and reconvening on the wall.  
"What do you want from me?" The general grit out the words, directing them to the many glowing sets of eyes held within the darkness. It was a futile question, fearlings existed to create pain and cause havoc. They rarely had any definite reasons for what they did.

"You." The shadows whispered around him causing his heart to drop. He leveled his scythe before him, eyes narrowed at the darkness.

"what?"

"We want you…" There were many whispers now, the evil voices echoing through the air around him. "Come back…"  
"Be ours…"  
"Want you.."  
"We won't stop…"  
"….you…"

"Give us yourself for her…"

The last phrase he caught made his blood run cold. His arms weakened and he almost dropped his weapon. What did that _mean?_"Her!?"

The shadows moved along the walls, impossible to follow. "The fairy…." The shadows whispered laughing, and with that, the roiling mass of darkness spilled from the window out of the tower.

"No!" Picthiner followed quickly, leaping from the tower in pursuit. "Where _is_she!?" He was letting his anger get the better of him and he knew it. This was also something that was a fatal error when fighting fearlings. You had to do so with a calm and collected resolve. Any break in your emotions and they use that weakness to their advantage.

Melding in and out of the shadows himself, the general followed them throughout the palace. Occasionally a fearling broke off from the group, launching itself at him which he quickly beheaded with his scythe. But even this only stopped them from a short while until they were able to pull back together.

In a powerful swing of his weapon he sent a blade of his own shadows hurtling into the darkness causing the inky black mass to separate, the single form of each one surrounding him in a swirling group. He gasped for breath, doing everything in his power not to reach down and clutch his leg, the pain finally breaking though his resolve.

"_Poor general_…"  
"….poor general.."  
The whispering started again, surrounding him.  
"You've lost your touch…"  
"…becoming weak…"  
"….join us…"  
"_..poor general…_"  
"…Give yourself to us…"  
"Give yourself to us and we will give her back."

"Where is she!?" Pitchiner's heart pounded with both adrenaline and fear. Fear of Tooth getting hurt. "Let her go." His voice was dark. There was a reason he had kept any emotional attachments to a minimum when he had been fighting in the golden war. He put anyone he cared for at risk.  
His golden eyes searched the darkness again, burning in anger. "Your fight is with _me, _not her!"

He had one last trick….one last trick he had wanted to avoid using. But desperate times…..

As he raised his arms he felt the Nightmare Kings power surge from within him. It only took a few moments before the distant whinnies could be heard from the palace; the sound of sharp hooves hitting the stone ground. From the shadows the NightMares started appearing, seemingly cautious around the man who was their master, but under control all the same.

At the sight of the dark horses the fearlings regrouped, their inky black mass pulling together as they laughed. Unexpectedly they shot into the sky, giggling and taunting him all the way. Eyes angry, he swung his leg over the nearest NightMare, grimacing at the sharp pain but spurring it to move none the less. The rest of the NightMares followed, screaming out as they shot through the air.

The chase only lasted a minute before a cold blast knocked him clean off the back of the horse and into the nearest structure. Kozmotis cried out as his body hit the wall, pain shooting through him. It not for the armor bearing the brunt of the attack he most definitely would not be in such a good condition. He used the shadows to slow his decent before he finally dropped, unceremoniously, to the ground. Groaning he pulled himself to his feet, taking a limping step forward.

Pitchiners golden eyes scanned the palace for his attacker. _That had been no fearling._

"Caught ya in the act!" The familiar voice brought his attention to the figure of Bunnymund sitting atop a pillar, boomerang in hand. The rabbit turned, addressing the large figure who stepped up from behind him. "I told ya! I told you lot not to trust 'im!"

North jumped down to the general's level, swords brandished and an angry and betrayed look upon his face. "I trusted you. I trusted you and this is how you repay me!? By storming Tooth's tower with NightMare's AGAIN!" He emphasised each word with a step forward.

The general's eyes widened as he shook his head, limping backwards from the angry, sword wielding Russian. "This isn't what it looks like! This wasn't me!"

"It looks an awful lot like you…" Jack landed beside North, staff at the ready. "You're a great liar. Now where's Tooth." Jack's voice was flat, his face emotionless. It was only his eyes that spoke his real feelings; his disappointment.

Kozmotis stopped only when he felt his back hit the wall. "Please. I beg you! I haven't betrayed you. The fearlings have her!" While normally he would show them the truth by complying, this was not the time. Not while the darkness had Tooth. Not while he was the only one with experience enough to fight them. "You have to let me go. I have to _save her._"

"Stop." Jack's expression changed to one of anger. "Stop LYING." With the loud word he swung his staff, sending an arc of ice towards the general. Instinctively Pitchiner materialized his scythe, blocking the blow.

Holding his weapon defensively, his desperate eyes darted to each guardian. In their eyes he was the enemy. In their eyes they had the one they were after, the one who could give them their friend.

With a grim expression the general straightened, swinging the scythe down so the blade rested on the ground. "Is there nothing I can do to make you believe me? Nothing I can say to sway your belief in the evidence." He voice was solemn.

"I dunno, mate. The evidence is pretty obvious." Bunny jumped from the pillar to land beside North. "It's been pretty obvious since the very beginning. Now tell us where Tooth is!"

Pitchiner glanced at each guardian to confirm Bunny's words. The only thing he received were glares; untrusting, angry, disappointed, betrayed…..

"My greatest apologies…But…if you won't believe me…I'm going to have to save Toothiana on my own."  
He melded backwards into the shadows, traveling quickly through the darkness, eyes now trained on the sky. The fearlings were gone….but that was no matter, he already knew where they were headed.

The general materialized across the square and listened to the angry cries of his pursuers with a sad sigh; the thought that they so easily believed him to be evil pained him. But that didn't matter; after he rescued Tooth the guardians could have him.

As he turned to meld into the shadows once more he felt something tighten around his arm. When he looked down, his golden eyes shone with the reflection of the glittering dream sand. Pitchiner looked up just in time to see Sandy jump from his cloud and land before him with a huff. The golden man frowned, tugging the whip that was still fastened tightly around the general's wrist.

Desperate to escape, Kozmotis swung his scythe down to sever the stream of golden sand. Unfortunately it was knocked out of his hand before it could make contact. He grunted at the painful blow, clutching his hand to his chest as he watched the boomerang clatter across the floor and his scythe disappear.  
"You're not goin' anywhere mate." Bunny landed with a thump beside Sandy, glaring at the armor clad man.

Kozmotis grit his teeth, mind whirring. He desperately didn't want to fight them….that would only prove their point. But he had to escape….somehow….His eyes fell on the shadow he had just melded from. _His last chance_.

Perhaps he would have made it if his bad leg hadn't made him stumble.

As his leg gave out he felt the whip wrap around his body, pulling him backwards and off balance. With a clatter of steel on stone he landed hard at Sandy's feet.

When he went to scramble away the sandman flicked his hand, sending dream-sand towards the man. The golden ropes coiled around his arms, drawing them together behind his back, tangling his legs to slow him down.

"NO!" He raised his golden eyes when the two other guardians joined them, looking down on him with a mix of negative emotions. "Please…"

"That's enough." North frowned, bringing the tip of a sword to the general's throat. "Pitch."

**AUTHORS NOTE:**

Surprise! Super fast update away!  
Well...in reality it wasn't super fast seeing as I just spent the last 6 hours of my life writing and editing this one. I hope you enjoy it, here marks the start of the action, the start of the sadness, and start...of the end. MWahahahaAhahAhah! ~cough~

Anywho. In regards to Mother natures name. I did in fact hear that is was Katherine and I was going to use that but that until I came across someone who was avid to the point of angry that this was, in fact, NOT her name...so I chose my own. ~shrug~ I dunno. I like it so I'm going to stick with it. MY STORY HA.

Again, CHEERS for super awesome bursts of motivation! yay! This is where the fun starts so I'll probably be more motivated to write.

One last note: YOU GUYS, OMG. Some of you guys...just make me so happy with your reviews. I love each and every one of you and would like to reply to a lot of them...the only thing deterring me being this sites unfriendly messaging system. Oh well...BUT I LOVE YOU ALL REGARDLESS. OMG.

...until next time. :3


	9. Chapter 9

Tooth awoke slowly, her head pounding as she tried to figure out where she was. The last thing she could remember was awaking in her room….and the shadows moving….She jumped up, meaning to start hovering but folded her wings when she felt them hit something. Slowly as her eyes adjusted to the dim light did she realize where she was….Pitch's lair?

She recognized herself to be in one of the many wrought iron cages that were hanging from the ceiling. Suddenly afraid she shook the bars, hands moving along the sides of the cage looking for a way out.

An eerie laughter echoed through the room causing the fairy to still, shivers ran up her spine. Wide eyed she stared out into the darkness. The shadows were moving; a roiling inky back mass. The fairy shrunk down, feeling trapped. What was happening?

"_Poor Tooth, so trusting._" A familiar voice rang out in the darkness and caused the fairies heart to almost stop. No…no…this was impossible.

With wide saucer like eyes she watched the man meld out of the darkness, a sinister toothy grin spread across his face.

Slowly shaking her head, Tooth pressed herself into the back of the cage, feeling it sway slightly, as if trying to escape what she was seeing. "This isn't real. This can't be real." Her voice was quiet and shaky.

"_This is very real, I assure you." _The Nightmare King laughed again. "_I really had you going, didn't I?_"

Tooth shut her eyes, trying to block out the image. The words she was hearing. This was a bad dream, a nightmare.

"_What, you really thought that I was a 'good guy'?_" Using the shadows he glided closer to her. "_But we both know that that's impossible. There is no general here; only darkness."_

"You're lying!" Her words were laced with hysteria. "Kozmotis existed! He had to! Because….." Because she had fallen for him….He had to have existed.

The man before he snickered. "_Poor Tooth…taken in by a lie._"

Her violet eyes bore into him, unbelieving. But this was Pitch, the same build, the same voice, the same smile…._wait._Upon closer inspection she furrowed her brow, looking up at him in anger. "Who are you?"

He wasn't missing the tooth. The one she had knocked out. This man was not Pitch.

The Nightmare King frowned, glaring at her. "_Pitch."_The response was short and angry.

"No, you're not." Toothiana stepped forward, glaring at the man, her voice fierce. "Who….what are you."

Without warning the man before her burst into shadows, disappearing quickly into the blackness of the cave as the whispering started.  
"….._You're smart."  
_"Very smart."  
"So _brave."  
"He'll come."  
_"….fail…"  
"_So…smart.."  
"He'll be _ours."  
"_poor general…"  
_"Dead once again."  
"…_ours."_

"No!" He voice rang out through the darkness but was met only with silence. Their final words were like a knife to her heart. What were they planning, what was _happening_? The fairy curled up into a ball at the bottom of the cage and shut her eyes. If it meant the general's downfall she didn't want to be saved.

_…._

"It was too good to be true. Pitch, a good guy?" North reached down and pulled the general to his feet before leaning in close. "Looks like it really is impossible."

The general strained against the golden ropes, his eyes pleading with the man holding him. "I am not the Nightmare King! You must believe me!"

"Then why are they here, mate?" Bunny motioned to the black horses moving, uneasily, in the shadows. "They look an awful lot like corrupted dream sand ta me."

Pitchiners eyes widened, they were in deed made from Sandy's dream sand. But he had always intended to return it….There just hadn't seemed to be a proper time. He glanced down at the little man who had his arms crossed, foot tapping. How would he explain this? He opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by Jack.

"Stop! We don't want to HEAR IT." Jack stormed forward jabbing his staff into the general's chest; the wood clacking on his armor. "Just tell us what you've done with Tooth, and do NOT lie."

The general's desperation started turning to anger then. He narrowed his eyes at the frost sprite. "I have not TOUCHED her. But I believe her to be in my former lair, and if you stall here much longer she'll get hurt."

The Russian pulled him roughly, slamming him into the nearest wall. "If we find her hurt you are in for a world of hurt. This is too far; and after everything she has done for you." The general stumbled, losing balance from the hard impact, finally falling to his knees. This was impossible. They would not see reason, and while they spoke with him here, there was a greater and greater chance of Toothiana not making it out. "Just _GO._" He grit out the words, deciding against continuing the argument.

"Not with you free to roam around." The rabbit hopped forward to crouch in front of the bound man, staring into the golden eyes. "I say we leave 'im to rot in that cell like we should of."

Pitchiners face fell, his heart jumping into his throat. He had hoped they would let him go, which was of course a false hope all along. But if they locked him up he would have no chance to save her…. if they failed. Again he chose silence over an argument; any more talk would keep them from a rescue even longer.

"Sandy and I will head there now. Meet us." Bunnymund stood, shooting a glance to Sandy who was already in the air. With a stern nod the Russian threw a globe, pulling the general to his feet and shoving him through the portal. He was followed closely by the two guardians.

The reality of what was happening finally kicked in when he stumbled into the workshop, limping heavily. He felt a large hand fall on his armor clad shoulder, forcefully guiding his toward the elevator as Jack came up on his left side. The frost spirit shot him a dirty look before entering the elevator before them.  
The trip down was silent, the air thick with anger and disappointment. But it was only when the doors opened to the stone hall did Kozmotis start to panic. Surely they would fail and all of them would die, not just Tooth. They had no idea how to even BEGIN to fight a fearling.

His limping steps grew slow and heavy until finally he started to struggle, pulling away from the hand on his shoulder. He only made it a few steps back before both guardians had him by the arms, forcefully dragging him towards the cell.

"You won't be able to fight them! North! Reading history books doesn't give you experience. Please!"

His words were lost as they dragged him into a different cell this time, it was slightly further down the hall; both dimmer lit and smaller. The main difference however was on the other side of the bars, bolted to the wall were shackles. They were attached to two long chains giving a little maneuverability but also making any escape from the prison impossible.

Upon seeing this, the general struggled harder, desperately fighting to pull away. It took North basically wrapping his arms around the thinner man to hold him still, letting Jack unlock and open the door. "Please…please….don't do this!"

The white haired man said nothing as he pushed Pitchiner into the wall, holding him still to the best of his ability as Jack fastened the shackled on his wrists. As the second one was locked securely in place the dream sand melted away, freeing the general's arms.

In a stony silence and a huff North turned, briskly walking out the door without a second glace. "Come Jack. We must hurry." The voice echoed from down the hall.

"Jack, wait, please!" The general stumbled forward, eyes desperate as he placed his hands on the bars as the younger man locked the cell door and turned to go. "Hear me out, just for a second. I beg of you."

He was almost shocked when the frost sprite stopped in the doorway, back still turned and silent.

The general swallowed before continuing. "Have you never needed someone to give you the benefit of the doubt? When all the evidence points against you and things seem desperate? Jack, Tooth is in great danger…all of you are."

Jack looked down, the memory of Easter flashing though his head. He had needed just that…the benefit of the doubt but was denied it. He remembered looking up at his friends as they turned away from him. The frost sprite grit his teeth. Could they have been wrong? It was difficult to imagine. Not after they witnessed the man mounted on a NightMare whilst fleeing the scene surrounded by darkness. But then again….he doubted the sight of him holding those teeth after the eggs had been destroyed was a good image either.

He turned slightly to glance at the general. He looked like Pitch, the same gray skin, the same bad teeth….the same power. But his eyes….those golden eyes held something that the Nightmare King's did not. With a furrowed brow he turned away again. "The benefit of the doubt….Yes, I've needed it…." Those were the final words the boy spoke before disappearing, leaving the door to swing shut.

The general's scream of despair drowned out the sound of two keys hitting the ground, rusty silver as they blended in with the stone floor near the doorway. The keys to both the cell and the shackles remained unseen by the man in the prison as he shut his eyes in sorrow.

Kozmotis slammed a fist on the bars to the cell before dropping to his knees and hanging his head. His arms fell to his sides, the weight of the shackles and chain as heavy as his heart. He didn't even bother to fight off the sobs of despair as they wracked through him. Was this what his destiny had in store for him? Would he never be able to lead a peaceful life with the people he loved?

He expected that the guardians would never return, taken by the fearlings instead. He would spend the rest of eternity locked in the dark and the cold; alone and forgotten. Katarina would probably look for him….but he doubted she'd find him. They would lose each other again.

When he had no tears left to give, the pain in his leg from kneeling finally drove him to stand. He played with the shadows in one hand, but like he knew, there was no way he could slip the chains.

Giving up he collapsed on the bench at the back of the cell, hanging his head. His golden eyes were dull, staring blankly at the stone floor in front of him. At this point the Guardians should just be entering the cavern….heading to their end.

When his eyes caught the glint on the floor by the door he ignored it, but his eyes darted quickly back. He stood abruptly, limping to the bars to get a better look. KEYS…._but….it couldn't be_….

Concentrating he sent out a call for a NightMare, hoping dearly that Sandy had not the time to reabsorb all of his dream sand. The relief when a tiny horse skittered from the shadows made his knees weak. In fact, he could feel the presence or many still in existence. With a quick and silent order the tiny horse pick both keys up in its mouth before depositing them in his hand and disappearing once more.

Hands shaking in both shock and relief it took Kozmotis two tries to unlock the shackles from his wrists, and with the weight lifted from his arms hope filled him once more. He could save them.

In less than a minute he was out of the cell and riding the elevator up to the main floor. Upon seeing him, the yeti's in the room stared in shock, but before any could make a move the general was already gone. He maneuvered through the shadows quickly; he would be at the cavern shortly.

Kozmotis prayed he wasn't too late. He had to save them; save her. He had already lost his wife to the darkness; he refused to lose another person he…

_loved._

**AUTHORS NOTE:**  
So this is reasonably shorter than the other chapters. But only because the next chapter is going to be a beast and I wanted to cut it off before I got there.  
Hope you enjoyed this. A bit of a darker chapter, but it only gets darker from here. ((...would have gotten it done sooner if I hadn't gotten raging drunk yesterday evening. hehehe))

Now...I don't want to give anything away. But for any of you holding out hope...this probably will not have a happy ending. UNLESS I can think one that is better then the one I already have before I get there.

So...once again, I LOVE MY REVIEWERS AND COMMENTERS. I've had a couple people offer to edit or beta for me and I'd like to graciously decline. I very much appreciate the offers and it makes me happy that you like it enough to even WANT to...But I haven't had good experiences with it in the past so...sorry!

As always, luv you all, til next time!


	10. Chapter 10

The cave looked normal upon entering; perhaps a little dark, but nothing out of the ordinary.  
"Tooth!" The ice sprite called into the blackness as he softly landed on the stony floor. He felt a thump as North and bunny landed alongside him. Sandy hovered on his cloud close by.

"Tooth!" It was the Russian tinted voice that called next, yet this was also met with silence.

"I don't like this." Bunnymund held his boomerangs at the ready, eyes darting about. The silence wasn't right. It was eerie; their words seemed to be swallowed by the blackness rather than echo through the cavern.

Cautiously North stepped forward, drawing his swords. "You are right. I feel it too."

It was then that the laughing started, loud and sinister throughout the room. But more importantly; they knew that laughter. Jack looked nervously around but could see nothing but shadows; _what had he done?_

"PITCH." North bellowed, stepping forward as he raised his weapons. "Show yourself! How did you escape!?"

"Hello, North…_Guardians_…" All of them raised their weapons when the man melded out of the darkness before them, dressed once again in his regular black robe. Jack frowned; he should never have dropped those keys. He silently prayed the Nightmare King wouldn't let that secret slip.

"Was it so hard to drop your little act?" Bunny hopped forward angrily, ears perked towards the shadowy man. "Now where is Tooth!?"

"Oh, she's safe….for now." The voice was like liquid; smooth yet eerie. "I'll let her go when I get what I want." _  
_  
"And what is it that you want?" Jack's blue eyes bore into Pitch's but his question was only met with silence. _Why…..why did he trust this man….  
_  
The Nightmare King disappeared into the shadows. The voice that spoke was quiet now, making it all the more creepy. "Are you sure it was an act?" The guardians exchanged glances before huddling closer, watching each other's backs. "Now go on…save your friend…._if you can_."

"North…" Jack's voice was solemn as he addressed his friend. "What are those?"

The creatures forming out of the darkness were like nothing the frost sprite had ever seen. They were large, bodies shaped like dogs yet lithe like cats. Their red ember eyes glowed, the long dark teeth bared in a lethal grin. Just looking at them made his breath hitch; threads of terror drawing through him.  
North's reaction was similar. "Those…I believe…are fearings…" The Russian didn't even chance a glance at his friend, instead keeping his attention on the dark creatures now surrounding them.

"How are there so many of 'em?" The rabbit's heart was racing, the fear he was feeling was not something he could control, but something hard wired into his being. "I thought they were supposed to be gone."

With cackling laughter the creatures charged, their dark forms moving quickly through the dim light. Jack raised his staff, letting loose a bolt of ice as the fearling neared him. To the boy's dismay the blow only slowed the creature, the shadowy darkness of the things body knitting back together almost as soon as it was hit.

Taking to the air, he tried again, and again but to no avail. His attacks were useless. Chancing a glace down he saw that his friends were fairing no better. North's swords barely damaged the creatures as he dodged each one, swinging his blades uselessly. Bunny's boomerangs had even less effect as they passed right through the darkness.

Sandy was the only one having any margin of success. The dream sand he wielded was able to keep the fearlings at bay, but not kill them.

Jack dodged attack after attack; swinging his staff and sending bolts of ice flying. This was useless. There was no way to kill them and while the guardians tired, the creature showed no signed of slowing. _They were going to die…_

The frost spirit flew over, landing ungracefully beside the Russian as the rest of the guardians regrouped as well, all breathing hard. But they were not the only ones with the idea. Even before their eyes the fearlings merged together, creating larger and more formidable creatures.

Jack braced himself as the first of them sprung forward, his friends beside him doing the same; waiting for the impact…..but it never came. The fearling that was two feet from swallowing them melted away into shadows, its head separated from its body.

Golden armor glinted in even the dim light as the general landed before them, scythe in hand. He stayed in his crouching position; weapon still raised and his back turned. He eyed down the fealings that were now pulling back into the darkness as he spoke. "I tried to warn you."

Finally when the last creature pulled into the shadows did he stand, spin around and step forward to address the stunned guardians._ Thank the heavens he had arrived when he had._His voice was stern but relieved. "Please listen carefully to me because this will mean the difference between life and death."

Bunny opened his mouth to speak but was silenced by a golden eyed gaze. "A fearling and a NightMare are similar in many ways, but where a Nightmares body consists or corrupted dream sand a fearling is created from fear itself. Over time enough fear solidified the darkness into something tangible and unfortunately very dangerous and intelligent."

"How do we stop them?" Jack's voice was quiet. What was going on? Was this another trick? Who was the real Pitch, this man or the one earlier?

The general glanced at the young guardian when he spoke, giving him a small nod before answering. "There was a reason why at the end of the golden war someone had to stand guard at the prison, because that was the only way to stop them. They had to be captured which is something we are unprepared for." He spoke faster, feeling the time before their next attack running out. "Behead them, it slows them down but only for about half a minute. Our goal today is not to win a battle, but to rescue Toothiana."

North stepped forward, transferring both swords to one hand so he could hold out the empty one. "I should not have doubted you." The general took it, giving it a firm shake. "It is good thing you were able to escape."

"Indeed it was." He let his gaze fall on Jack for a second who only smiled sheepishly at him.

"_…General…"_

The whispered word caused the general to spin, scythe raised, to face the darkness.

"…Give up…"  
"…._give…"  
"Give us…."  
_  
The general narrowed his eyes, knuckles turning white as he tightened his hold on his weapon.

"…_you."_

"Take me then!" The general raised both arms, sending out a silent call for backup. Turning to sandy he spoke quietly. "If we survive this battle, I promise you can take them back."

The golden man's expression held confusion until the first whinnies could be heard. From the shadows around them the NightMares merged, hooves clopping on the stone until they stood shoulder to shoulder with their previous enemies. Heads bobbing they waited for the signal to charge.

The general turned to the guardians one last time. "Be careful." With that he swung himself onto the back of a NightMare, charging into the darkness followed closely by both the guardians and his horses.

Pitchiner cleanly beheaded two fearlings as the dark horse carried him towards the entrance to the next room, deftly avoiding the slashing claws of enemies. With a swing of his scythe he cleared the doorway of its shadowy guard before his steed bounded though. The sounds of the battle raging on around him drowned out his call. "Tooth!"

A sudden blow from behind sent him skidding across the floor. Grimacing in pain, the general looked up just in time to roll away and narrowly miss the claws of the fearling slashing down at him. Standing quickly, he swung his scythe missing narrowly as it dodged. With a gasp of effort he stepped forward on his bad leg, maneuvering the weapon expertly and succeeding in beheading it.

His golden eyes quickly surveyed the cavern. "Tooth!" He yelled so loudly his voice cracked at the word.  
…

Toothiana opened her eyes when she first heard the battle begin. Could it be Kozmotis!? He jumped up, the cage swaying slightly as she placed her hands on the bars.

Violet eyes wide, she watched the entrance of the cavern. When the general rode through it she was at a loss for words. He looked everything she imagined him to and more, the golden armor shining in the dim light; every bit the valiant general.

As she was about to call out a fearling leapt from the darkness, knocking the man from his steed. She watched in fear as he fought off the creature, heart fluttering when he finally defeated it and called for her.

"Kozmotis." She had meant for the word to be loud but it came out a whisper. Trying again, her voice rang true through the shadows. "Kozmotis! Here!"

The general's head shot up, his eyes falling immediately to the fairy trapped within the cage. Ignoring the pain in his leg, he leapt onto the back of a passing NightMare, riding it upward. "Stand back." With a powerful swing of his weapon the door was knocked almost completely off its hinges.

He smiled at her, taking a deep breath in relief as she stepped forward. _She was okay_… "Tooth, I-" Catching him off guard, a smaller sized fearling slammed straight into his chest. The blow, once again, knocked him from his mount as the both of them hurtled to the ground. He cried out in pain when the teeth sunk into his arm, finding one of the few places unprotected by armor.

Gritting his teeth, he tried to use the darkness to slow their decent; only marginally succeeding as they hit the ground. The force at least jarred the fearling loose, the jaws leaving his arm. Groaning, he flipped over, the world still slightly spinning from the impact, blood pouring down his arm, sleeve soaked in red.

With a gasp he pushed himself off the ground only to be brought back down, arms pinned to the floor by the massive black clawed hands of a fearling. The creature grinned at him, the noseless face twisting in both humor and malice. Pitchiner struggled against the creatures grasp but stilled, squeezing his eyes shut when it dug its claws into his already injured arm.

Kozmotis opened his eyes just in time to see the creatures head separate from its body, the pressure leaving as it melted into shadows to show the form of Tootiana. The fairy hovered above him, the broken steel from the cage door gripped in her small hands. "Are you okay…?"

"Yes….But we need to get out of here, now…" The general slowly got to his feet, rematerializing his scythe with a pained expression.

Tooth stared at him wide eyed with concern but only nodded, brandishing the steel bars before her.

Together they exited into the original cavern. Kozmotis could feel the grip on his weapon slick with blood but ignored it, the adrenaline racing through him as more enemies rushed them. His weapon sliced up through two fearlings, narrowly missing a third which Tooth deftly dispatched with the steel bars.

Jack landed beside them as they battled towards the entrance. "It's nice to-" The wooden staff cut through one shadowy creature before loosing a bolt of ice at a second. "-see you're ok."

"Pull together!" The general's voice rang through the cavern as they fought their way toward the shaft of light; the way out.

The fairy shot a quick smile to her friends as the three joined them.

"Guys….problem." It was Jack's voice who spoke first, his eyes wide as he stared into the darkness. In the shadows blocking their escape route grew a monster. This fearling was massive, as big as a five story house.

Tooth took the general's arm absentmindedly as they both stared up at the thing. Before their very eyes more fearling merged with it, giving more mass to its body.

"How do we kill that…?" The fairy whispered.

Kozmotis stared up, his golden eyes wide as the hundreds of different scenarios shot through his head. They wouldn't be able to defeat this one. Even in the past with an army at his command he had difficulties taking down a fearling that large.

A wave of realization fell upon him which was then accompanied by a wave of calmness. Taking a breath he stopped to feel the moment; the soft tug of the fairies hands on his arm, her breath tickling the back of his ear as she looked past him; the soft beat of her wings; the hard won allies standing around him. Every scenario running through his ended with their failure…._expect those that ended with only his own downfall._

The general's heart clenched as the resignation washed over to him. He turned slightly, golden eyes sad as he glanced at the guardians. When his attention focused on Tooth the moment seems to slow to a crawl. "You can't kill fear." The words were soft.

The fairy looked down at him, violet eyes full of fear; not only at the massive creature that still grew in front of them, sucking in the last of the fearlings, but at what Kozmotis meant.

"There's no way to defeat it. You can't defeat fearlings." His shoulders slumped as he turned his back on his companions. "But you _can_defeat me. You've done it before."

"What!" The words rang out in a chorus among his allies. "There has to be another way!" Jack stepped forward, his voice shrill.

The fairies spun the general around, both panic and sorrow in her expression. "No! You can't….we can get through this! Don't do this…." She felt her bottom lip quiver as she stared into the sad golden eyes.

"There's no other way…." He shook her head, breaking eye contact to glance at the ground. "I wasn't being realistic…I was never meant for this life…Somehow I always knew…" He lifted his hand, softly laying it on the fairies face, unintentionally leaving a smear of blood. "The fearlings….they will never stop…Not until they get what they want."

"No…" The word barely squeaked out as she felt the tears pool in her eyes before breaking free to run down her face.

The general shot a last look at the Guardians spurring Bunnymund to speak. The rabbit nodded to him, a hint of shame in the voice. "You're a good man. I'm sorry I doubted ya…" North only stared at the ground in silence, expression solemn; Sandy's expression almost mimicking the Russians. Jack stared at him, brow furrowed to the point of painful.

"Tell my daughter I love her...And…" He shut his eyes. "I only wish things could have been different in the end, Toothiana…" The general pulled away from the fairy, turning to walk towards the colossal fearling that was now watching, listening to the conversation greedily. Somehow it knew what was coming and settled to wait patiently.

"Kozmotis…" The whispered word caused him to turn back slightly and he quickly found himself pulled into a kiss. The fairies lips were soft and warm, the hands now resting on his neck comforting. He allowed himself to sink into the passion for only a moment before he pulled away, walking briskly towards his fate; head down. Only then did he allow the tears to spill, unseen by the eyes of the guardians.

He stopped about ten feet away, back still turned and called the NightMares to convene around his allies. "Take your dream sand back, Sandy….I don't want to be able to use it against you." With sad eyes and an almost hesitant movement the golden man nodded, reaching his hand into the black sand and turning it gold once more.

The general stepped forward, the circle of light from the entrance acting like a spotlight. Craning his neck up he stared into the burning eyes of the creature, ignoring the sneer is gave him. Shutting his eyes he allowed the scythe to fall from his hand, disappearing into smoke before it even hit the ground.

"Take me."

With the whispered word the creature burst into shadows, spiralling towards the general and quickly overtaking him. When he disappeared into the blackness Tooth fell to her knees, sobs wracking through her body. Jack stepped forward to kneel beside her, placing comforting hands on her shoulders.

The rest of the guardians stared at the roiling darkness, expressions akin to those you would see at a funeral.

After a minute the darkness dissipated, leaving only the lone man kneeling in the spot of light. All any of the guardians felt at that instance was regret….sadness….pain. But to anyone else the cavern would have felt brighter; the sense of dread that accompanied the darkness gone. The world itself seemed to breathe a sigh of relief is it was rid of the fearsome creatures of old.

After a few minutes of silence the armored man stood, looking around wildly before turning and training his eyes on the intruders to his lair. "You!" Pitch took a step forward only to have his leg give out, the previous injury causing him to fall quite ungracefully to his hands and knees. With a gasp of pain the silver eyes once again landed on the guardians "Why…."

Violet eyes still wet with tears, the fairy stood putting on a brave face as she watched the Nightmare King struggle. None of the guardians said a word, solemnly mourning the loss of their new found ally.

"What…what are you doing here…" Finally Pitch staggered to his feet, limping forward. "What…" He stopped, taken aback. "Why are you looking at me like that…"

Completely and utterly bewildered the man looked down at himself, trying to put two and two together. "This….this is some trick…." He smiled unsure, laughing nervously. "What do you want from me?" He sent out a call to his NightMares not liking where this was going but was met with silence. _What….how_…

Still the guardians offered him no explanation, only expressions of pity and mourning. The entire situation was unnerving him. "Fine….if you're not going to explain your little trick…" He frowned, silver eyes darkening. "I'll be seeing you around." Stepping backwards he melted into the shadows, leaving no trace of ever existing other than the guardians, safe and alive.

"I'm going…" Toothiana said no other words before flitting up and out of the cavern, escaping into the light. Her friends only exchanged solemn glances before doing the same.

In the end….he had been just as great a man as any.

**AUTHORS NOTE:  
**Sorry about the delay in releasing this. Had some stuff.  
Concerning the content of this chapter though...I'm sorry I'm a horrible awful person and please don't hate me! But really...I know it's emotional chapter when I have to write it through my own tears. UURGGG. Don't hate me ._.

Anyway...don't fret. This is not the last chapter, there is one left to go...possibly two depending. I'm not sure when they'll be released, there may be a bit of a delay on them.

One other note. I've been told that his daughters name is Seraphina? I've actually heard is one as well...But then someone messaged me who's read the books saying her name has yet to be released SO. I don't know what to think. Either way, regardless of when her name IS released, I'm not gonna change it now. You're gonna just have to suffer through Katarina.

A BIG MASSIVE THANK YOU TO MY REVIEWERS YOU MAKE ME SO HAPPY

Well...I'm going to go sob in the corner now. Until next time!

edit: Someone asked for my youtube account...oh god. There are...old things on there. Here, I'll let my secret slip. I'm originally a cosplayer, meaning I got dressed up with friends and took stupid videos and then posted them (still do). If I give you my account you guys have to promise not to think I'm a weirdo, ok? It's dragonwarrioroffire. If you search general Pitchiner on youtube you should come up with a video that is by me.


	11. Chapter 11 - Goodbyes

Tooth felt cold inside…..empty…lost. The cheerful chirping from her fairies upon her return quickly stopped as they picked up on her energy. They watched with solemn eyes as she fluttered past, only baby tooth approached her, chirping softly in question.  
Toothiana lowered her eyes and shook her head, passing the tiny fairy without a word. She feared that if she opened her mouth only sobs would escape. She was supposed to be strong, brave, their queen…she didn't want to burden them….

The fairy thought about returning to her own quarters but the thought was too lonely …Instead she found herself landing on the ledge of the guest tower that had belonged to Kozmotis. Her soft eyes swept over the room as she stepped in. It wasn't until she placed a hand on the empty bed did she break down.

It felt like her heart had shattered….like someone had it in their hand and was squeezing. Crawling onto the bed she cried, hands clutching the sheets. She could almost feel his presence….feel the warmth…..this only made her sob even harder. She couldn't breathe, and it was when she was gasping for breath did she feel the soft hand on her shoulder.

Jumping about a foot in fear she turned, tears running down her cheeks, to see Mother Nature. The woman's expression only held confusion. "Tooth….what…." The fairy surged forward, wrapping her feathered arms around the woman's body, _Katarina resembled him so much…_

At Tooth's reaction realization slunk into the woman's mind. She wanted to deny it….she so desperately wanted the feeling that she had gotten earlier to have been a lie….a misread; _That the Nightmare King was back._It was why she came here. "No…" Mother Nature wrapped her arms around the fairies body looking for comfort and shut her eyes as the tears ran down her face. "I just got him back.."

The two mourning spirits slipped to the floor, embracing as they cried and shared in the loss. Finally Tooth pulled away, wiping her eyes and trying to calm her breathing. Her head ached and this wasn't helping. "I'm sorry…" She whispered as she backed away and perched on the bed.

Katarina shook her head, rubbing her now red eyes trying to suppress any more tears that wanted to escape. "No…it's not your fault….I should have seen this coming." Not bothering to get up she adjusted to a cross legged position, not caring at the moment if she was lady like.

"It is my fault…" Tooth hung her head. "He was protecting me…He went to the cave to save me….because I wasn't strong enough to fight off the fearlings. He invited them back in to save us…."

"No one person can fight off Fearlings…" A lump had formed in her throat, threatening to make her throw up but she swallowed it. "My father commanded armies to fight the fear…you can't blame yourself Toothiana….You can't blame yourself for the feelings he had for you…He's always been one to sacrifice himself in the name of love." Glancing out the window the earth spirit noticed the sky had blackened with dark clouds that threatened a thunderstorm. She took a deep breath and calmed herself; another glance showed the sky lightening.

The fairy swallowed and bit her lip. She knew the other woman was right…but it didn't make it any easier. It didn't fill the absence she could feel in the room…or the hole in her heart.

The two spirits sat in silence for a while, both trying to deal with the pain. "If he's turned back into the Nightmare King than he's not lost forever you know…" The fairy looked up hope flaring within her when Mother Nature spoke. It quickly died when she gave it some thought.

"But….the situation would only repeat, wouldn't it…the fearlings would be released and threaten us again…." She shook her head.

Katarina nodded solemnly, her brow furrowed. "Yes….but I'm hoping that there will be a time when we can deal with that problem…..There's nothing else I can do but hope…" She wouldn't give up on her father….for all of these years she had been looking for a way….some way to restore him to his former self. Now that she had the solution she only had to solve the fearling problem….how hard could that be?

Taking a deep breath Mother Nature stood and pulled the fairy into another hug. "We'll think of something, Tooth…I won't give up on him."

Toothiana closed her eyes and took a breath, returning the hug. "I won't give up on him….never…"

As she pulled away, the earth spirit gave the fairy a sad smile before turning to leave. "Thank you for making his short time here worth living, Tooth. I'll see you around." With that she leapt from the window, pale arms outstretched. Tooth rushed to peer over the ledge but the woman was gone, disappeared into thin air.

Alone once more the fairy stood in the room, the empty feeling returning. Her eyes suddenly fell on a folded paper trapped beside the bed and the side table. _It must have blown there… _Out of curiosity she picked it up. When she unfolded it her heart jumped in her chest, the tears returning to her eyes.

_My dear Toothiana,_

_If you are reading this right now that means that you are safe, thank the heavens, but I am probably gone. I know that time is of the essence and that I must reach the caverns as fast as possible to save the guardians…but there is a great chance that this will be my only time to tell you how I feel._  
_You are the first person that I have felt this strongly for since my wife passed away. You've cared for me and have been my advocate through all of these hardships. Even the knowledge of my past, of my power didn't deter you. I know I've told you this before but I need you to know that this means more to me than anything. Thank you Tooth, for everything you've done for me._  
_If I fall in that cave do not mourn for me. Please do not blame yourself for whatever happens to me. Fearlings have been my past, present, and I fear my future. At least if I go down I will know that it will be trying to save…trying to protect someone that I love._

_Goodbye Toothiana and thank you,_

_-Kozmotis Pitchiner_

As the fairy read the final words on the page her vision was almost completely blurred with tears. She collapsed to sit on the bed, sniffing as the tears fell. How could she follow those directions….  
Letting out a wavering breath she laid down again, shutting her eyes.

Toothiana fell asleep clutching the letter to her chest.

…..

Weeks passed slowly for Tooth as she tried to regain a sense of normalcy. It took her days to finally get back to work and when she did it was only half hearted. The guardians visited now and then to check on her but she was quiet; reserved. No one ever mentioned the Nightmare King.

She was resting for the night when he found her. She had moved her room into the guest tower and was perched on the window sill when the familiar voice rang through the shadows behind her.  
"Toothiana, how are you doing this _fine _evening?"

Startled into a hover the fairy jumped from the ledge and hovered outside the window, frowning into the room. Her eyes widened when they finally fell on the dark figure leaning casually against the table.

"Kozmotis?" Tooth whispered the word before she could stop herself. The man still wore the military uniform. The golden highlights glinting in the dim light.

"Who?" he frowned, quickly dismissing the fairy's question. "I'm here for a very specific reason. Infuriatingly no one else would help me so I find myself here."

Tooth's face fell and she looked away. Seeing that face that used to belong so someone she cared for only brought her pain. "What do you want Pitch…" She didn't have the heart to hate him, not when she knew who the man underneath was.

"WHAT happened?" He flung his arms out to the sides frustrated. "No one will tell me! I wake up in uniform and armor with NO NightMares and you lot staring me down. And no one will tell me…ANYTHING." He slunk closer, teeth bared.  
She glanced at him and caught view of the tooth she had knocked out.

"I'm sorry for knocking that tooth out..." She wrung her hands and looked down, feeling her chest constrict. _Just go away, Pitch_….

The Nightmare King was taken aback. He frowned slightly, perplexed. Silver eyes darted around the room as he tried to understand what was happening. "That's…What?" He stared at her. This was similar to the reactions the others had as well. Jack wouldn't look at him, North wouldn't say and word, and Bunny completely ignored him except to say 'bugger off'. Sandy had managed to evade him quite skillfully. But…she was trying to be civil, maybe….that same approach was in order?

"Tooth, look, all I want is an explanation." He relaxed his posture hoping that he could coax her into telling him anything.

Toothiana looked up at him and hovered closer nervously. "Ok, I'll tell you but on one condition." She stopped only a foot away and looked into his silver eyes. _What was she doing….she shouldn't be doing this…  
_  
"Condition…." The proximity was making him uncomfortable but he stayed still not wanting to scare her off.

Tooth rested her hands on sides of his face and leaned in, placing chaste kiss upon his lips. Her eyes never left his and a spark of delight flashed through her when she saw the silver melt away into gold. The man closed his eyes and returned the kiss passionately; his brow furrowed all the while in determination to keep control.

He pulled away only slightly, so close that their lips still brushed when he spoke. "That was very dangerous, Tooth." He lifted a hand to wipe away a tear from her cheek. "Did you get my letter?"

A smile brightened the fairies face, even as tears ran down her cheeks. "…I couldn't help it…" The sound that escaped her was a perfect mix of a laugh and a sob. "Yes, I did…"

The general rested his forehead on hers, shutting his eyes. "I thank the heavens that you're safe…" He whispered the words to her. "I don't regret what I did….not when it allowed you all to escape…"

"I didn't want you to leave me….please….don't leave me again" The fairies voice was quiet and fragile. "Don't leave me again…."

Kozmotis stroked the feathers on the back of her neck trying to ignore the fearlings in his body. They were trying to claw their way out of take control again. He let out a short breath in effort before speaking again. "This is my fate….I wish it could change it….But, I could never be more happy knowing that this came about again because I was protecting someone I love. "

The fairy leaned in again, wishing that they could stay like this forever. She had never felt anyone's love for her more than she did in how he kissed her now. When their lips parted the general spoke. "Live for me, Toothiana. Don't lose that joy that I love. Experience the things that I cannot." His molten gold eyes stared into hers. "And know that I'm not gone forever. Do not lose hope. Goodbye." With that he roughly pulled away, stumbling back, eyes closed. When they opened again they were silver and angry.

"What did you just do!?" The Nightmare King covered his face with both hands and grimaced as a splitting headache took hold. When he was finally able to focus on Toothiana genuine surprise flickered inside him. She was crying? Why…?

His anger left and he stepped towards her. "What….did you just do...?" Interesting how he couldn't feel any fear from her. Most, when alone in a room with him, were at least nervous.

The fairy queen shook her head, wiping her eyes. She took a shaky breath before speaking. "Pitch, there is someone good inside of you still; someone who's not dead." The last words cracked as she turned and rushed away, hopping out of the window and disappeared. She didn't even give him enough time to question her.

Frowning he melded into the darkness. That was more than what he had gotten from anyone else….but still not an explanation. Perhaps trying to wrangle the information from the guardians was just a lost cause. _Or maybe_….he thought as he traversed the shadows back to his lair; _he could take that information in some way_.  
His laugh echoed though the darkness.

…..

Toothiana sat perched on one of the golden roofs and watched the sun rise. Her heart felt lighter than it had in weeks. She shut her eyes as the warmly colored rays glinted off of her feathers.

Perhaps it was closure that she had needed. She remembered the general's words to her and smiled sadly. She still missed him dearly….but he wasn't dead. Like Mother Nature had said, she would NOT give up on him. If there is a will there is a way.

And surely….she stood and surveyed the palace in the golden sunlight…She would see him again.

**AUTHORS NOTE:**  
Well. That update was long awaited and sorely needed. It took me a while to figure out HOW to end it, but I think I'm satisfied. This IS the last chapter in case you were wondering. I hope you're all satisfied with the finale.  
I'd like to thank Gaarafan311 from devintart who gave me the idea for the note.

HUGE MASSIVE THANK YOU to all of my readers and supports who reviewed and commented while I was writing. I really appreciate hearing from you, it was you guys that motivated me to continue writing AND to guilt trip me into writing the final chapter even when my motivation was running low. I love you all more than you think.  
And now that it's over I urge anyone with a deviantart account to drop by mine. I post both fanart from this fic as well as art of Kozmotis regularly, my username is Darkshadowolf.

Well, this is it, guys...I'll miss writing for you. Byes!


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